CCS1: The Funhouse
by HA Senidal
Summary: Sakura's the Cardmistress now, so she feels she can live a normal life. Unfortunately, a new enemy has other plans.
1. Prologue and Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Just a friendly reminder, CCS is owned by CLAMP. OK, so you've heard it before. I dunno. If something is a fanfic, I don't think you have to say you don't own the show or book unless you're the creator or something like that. If I did own Sakura, I realy would've requested a preview of the English version before I gave Nelvana my approval. In fact, it's plain wrong for an anime distributor to totally mess around with a show. That's the job of fanfic writers ;o)  
  
Special thanks to all my beta readers, especially Starlight Rose, who made a great effort to keep the OOC-ness to a minimum. Big kudos to all of them for dealing with this story. I'm sure it wasn't easy :o)  
  
OK, enough of the preliminary stuff. Let's move on with the story. To the stage! :o)  
  
[A spotlight shines on the stage. Super Deformed Sakura steps out of the curtain with Kero-chan and stands in the spotlight.]  
  
Sakura: [Waves to the readers.] Hello. A year has passed since I became the Cardmistress (in the anime), so in this story, I'm about twelve (right?). Although Syaoran-kun is in Hong Kong, we still keep in touch and our feelings for each other haven't changed. He's still my number one.  
  
Kero-chan: I think I'm gonna hurl...  
  
Sakura: [Glares at Kero-chan.] Kero-chan! [Returns to the task at hand.] Well, I've captured all the Clow Cards and turned them all into Sakura Cards. Nothing's happened in Tomoeda ever since. Well, things happen, but not weird stuff. In short, I haven't had any adventures as a Cardcaptor for a while now.  
  
[Tomoyo screams from backstage.]  
  
Sakura: [Sweatdrops and shakes her head.] Tomoyo-chan...Anyway, I'm not a Cardcaptor anymore. Technically, I'm the Cardmistress now. No recent weirdness. So I should be living a normal life, right?  
  
Kero-chan: Well, in this story, Sakura takes on a...  
  
Sakura: Kero-chan! Don't spoil it for everyone!  
  
[Sakura grabs Kero-chan and places her hand over his mouth.]  
  
Kero-chan: [Struggles.] Mmmmmmmmph mmmmph mmmph!  
  
Sakura: [Holding Kero-chan.] Like I said before, this story's set after the anime. The second movie is considered the end. Still, I think there are elements from the manga in it. Also, everyone will be more or less in character thanks to Starlight Rose. The writer finds it bothersome when characters from a show aren't acting like themselves. Don't ask me why.  
  
SR: [Sticks her tongue out.] Well, excuse me! Read my post on OOC-ness in the CCS forum.  
  
[Backstage, HA sweatdrops and wonders how SR got into this dialogue.]  
  
Kero-chan: [Breaking free.] Yes! I can breathe! Now where was I? Oh yeah, Sakura's gonna take on a...  
  
Sakura: [Grabs Kero-chan again. Sweatdrops and laughs nervously.] Um, well, you'll have to read the story to find out what happens. Sayonara!  
  
[Sakura dashes behind the curtain with the still struggling Kero-chan. The curtain opens, and the story begins.]  
  
The Funhouse  
Prologue: Laughter in the Dark  
  
"So, have you heard from him yet?" Daidouji Tomoyo asked her best friend as they walked home from school.  
  
"Hoe?" Kinomoto Sakura blinked. "Who?"  
  
"You know who I'm talking about." Tomoyo smiled. "You were thinking about him, weren't you?"  
  
Sakura blushed. "Well..."  
  
"It's a shame Li-kun had to go back to Hong Kong," Tomoyo said.  
  
"Yeah, but he had stuff to take care of," Sakura wished Li Syaoran would have stayed in Japan. His amber eyes, brown hair, and stern yet kindly face stood out in her mind. "At least he knows how I feel about him," she said, relieved. She recalled how long it took for her to admit to Syaoran how she felt about him.  
  
"You two were so kawaii together," Tomoyo teased. "So, did he write or call you?"  
  
The crimson shade on Sakura's face spread. "Yes, he did write me," she answered with her head bowed. "He hopes to visit during the next school break. His business in Hong Kong is almost resolved."  
  
"That's good to hear," Tomoyo remarked. "Maybe one day he can come and stay for good."  
  
"I doubt it," Sakura said. "He doesn't have a reason to stay in Tomoeda."  
  
Tomoyo nodded and they continued walking. "Well, with Hiirigizawa-kun gone and you being the Mistress of the Sakura Cards, we won't be having any more adventures," she mentioned.  
  
Sakura reflected on that statement. A year had passed since Sakura captured all of the Clow Cards and transformed them into the Sakura Cards. The latter was the result of magical events created by Eriol Hiirigizawa, a transfer student from England and one half of the reincarnation of the Cards' creator, Clow Read. On first glimpse a malevolent entity, Eriol's goal was to help Sakura make her magic stronger so she could control the Cards and give half of his powers to he other half of Clow's reincarnation. They parted on good terms when Eriol returned to England and still kept in touch.  
  
"I guess now I can live a normal life," Sakura said. "No more magical cards to chase around."  
  
Tomoyo expressed her disappointment. "And I had so many new designs for your battle costumes. Plus, I won't be able to film you on your exciting adventures."  
  
Sakura sweatdropped. "Tomoyo-chan..."  
  
"At least I can make your wedding dress and film that," Tomoyo said with glittery eyes and a dreamy look.  
  
The two friends continued talking, unaware something was watching them. A mechanical bird perched on a rooftop transmitted their actions to another location.  
  
* * * * *  
  
In a dark room, someone watched the Mistress of the Sakura Cards and her friend. His red pupils studied the young girl closely on the screen before him.  
  
"So, you think things are dull around here, Cardmistress?" he said in a lively voice. His mouth formed a maniacal toothy grin. "Oh, don't worry, I'll liven things up around here just for you."  
  
He tilted his head back and unleashed laughter that sounded like evil, high-pitched gurgling. He waved a clawed hand and the screen vanished.  
  
"Is everything ready?" he asked something with yellow eyes floating behind him.  
  
"Yes, Master. We only await your command," was the answer.  
  
"Good, good, good!" he declared, facing his minion. Red eyes met yellow eyes. "Oh, what wonderful fun I'll have." He spun around, then stopped and rose his arms. "It's play time!" he shouted before erupting into a fit of evil laughter.  
  
  
  
Chapter 1: A Guardian Falls  
  
Lying on her bed, Sakura sighed. "Is it really over?" she asked, looking through her deck of Sakura Cards. She smiled as she looked at Windy, her first card, and Fly, her first capture.  
  
"Huh?" Kero-chan paused his game and flew over to Sakura. "What's really over?"  
  
Sakura looked at the Osaka dialect-speaking, small winged lion who was her Sun Guardian. "The cardcaptoring, Kero-chan."  
  
"Well, you caught all the Clow Cards and converted them to Sakura Cards," Kero-chan pointed out.  
  
"Are you sure we got them all?" Sakura asked. "We did miss that last one Clow-san left behind, and it caused a lot of trouble before we captured it."  
  
"I'm sure we caught them all," Kero-chan said confidently. He saw the downcast look on his mistress and friend. "Sakura, what's wrong?"  
  
Sakura sighed. "It's just that after all we've been through, I can't believe it's all over. Nothing weird has happened around here recently."  
  
"And that's a bad thing?" Kero-chan wondered. "After all, at the beginning, you felt you were tricked into becoming a Cardcaptor."  
  
"True, but it was quite an adventure," Sakura admitted. "If I hadn't become a Cardcaptor, I would've have been able to meet Syaoran-kun."  
  
"Oh, so this is about the gaki," Kero-chan said. He still nursed a little grudge against Syaoran despite his closeness with Sakura. Being called a "stuffed animal" did not sit well with the Guardian Beast.  
  
"It's not just that," Sakura said. "I mean, I have all the Clow Cards and transformed them into Sakura Cards with my Star Magic. What else is there for me to do?"  
  
Kero-chan flew up to Sakura's face. "Maybe you can be a superhero like on TV!" he told her excitedly.  
  
Sakura sweatdropped. "Kero-chan..."  
  
"Yeah!" Kero-chan shouted, caught up in the moment. "I mean, you can thwart bad guys with the Sakura Cards! Plus, you can do all kinds of cool poses." Hovering in the air, he proceeded to perform a number of poses he remembered from TV.  
  
"Uh, I think I'll stick to being normal," Sakura said, trying not to laugh at Kero-chan as he stretched his arms and bent his body in various positions.  
  
Kero-chan stopped. "Aw, too bad, Sakura. You would've been great."  
  
"Sorry, Kero-chan, but my magic-using days are over." Sakura took the Star Key and the Sakura Cards and walked towards her desk. Opening a drawer, she placed them inside, then closed it and a part of her life. *Now I can live a normal life. No more magic.*  
  
"Sakura-san! Dinner!" Kinomoto Fujitaka called from downstairs.  
  
"Coming!" she called back. "You know, Kero-chan, you can join us since oniichan knows about you."  
  
"No can do. I'm not sure if your dad can accept a tiny talking lion at the dinner table. Besides, I have to finish my game," Kero-chan commented. "Just bring me dessert, okay?"  
  
Sakura nodded, then went downstairs and found Fujitaka at the table with Touya and Yukito. She was not surprised at the sudden appearance of the bespectacled young man. Yukito spent more time at the Kinomoto residence than at his own home.  
  
"Hello, Sakura-chan," Yukito greeted. "I hope you don't mind me staying for dinner."  
  
"Not at all," Sakura responded cheerfully.  
  
"Hello, kaiiju," Touya teased.  
  
Sakura gave him a dirty look and stomped on his foot, but she knew her older brother cared about her. She took her place at the table.  
  
"I hope you like tonight's meal, Yukito-san," Fujitaka said.  
  
"Yuki likes all food," Touya remarked. "He's a bottomless pit."  
  
Sakura laughed a little. *It's true. Yukito-san loves food a lot,* she thought.  
  
As they ate, Sakura looked at her brother and his best friend. She remembered how she was attracted to Yukito. Now she saw him as another big brother. She had admitted her feelings to Yukito, but he said her feelings for him were the same as her love for her father. He admitted Touya was his special one. As she watched them eat and talk, Sakura agreed with that sentiment.  
  
Touya noticed "What are you staring at, kaiiju?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing," Sakura said, smiling as she returned to her dinner.  
  
After dinner was done and everyone digested, Yukito got up to leave. "I'd better head home. It's getting late."  
  
"Would you like me to walk with you home, Yuki?" Touya asked.  
  
Yukito smiled. "No, don't trouble yourself, Toya. I'll be fine. We're in a safe neighborhood."  
  
"You're right," Touya said in agreement. "After all, what can happen?"  
  
* * * * *  
  
Yukito arrived at his home. He was about to put his books away when he heard someone speak. "Yukito Tsukishiro, I presume?"  
  
Yukito looked up and saw a dark shape hovering above him. An officer's cap sat on its head. Yukito noted it resembled a ghost, and a mechanical one at that. "Nani? Who are you? What do you want?" he demanded.  
  
The creature looked at the bespectacled teen-ager. "We want you, Moon Guardian."  
  
"'We?'"  
  
Suddenly, more creatures appeared. Some looked like the first one, with black bodies and yellow eyes. The others had a white color and faces with two circular eyes and a mouth.  
  
"Surrender!" the leader declared. "You are no match for us!" The creatures surrounded Yukito, ready to attack.  
  
Yukito eyed these strange beings, then quickly transformed into a winged figure in Eastern clothing with long white hair. He glared at the enemy, who stared at the new form. Yukito was no longer present. In his place stood Yue, Sakura's Moon Guardian. "So you think you're a match for me?" he said, amused at the leader's bravado.  
  
"Blast it! He transformed!" the leader shouted. Overcoming his surprise, he pointed at his intended captive. "Ghosts, Shades, fire!"  
  
The creatures raised their arms and fired energy blasts. Yue jumped over the fire and allowed some of his enemies to be hit by the crossfire. As they disintegrated, he landed behind them and fired arrows, destroying more of them.  
  
The Ghosts and Shades fled to their leader, who was furious. His yellow eyes glowed with anger. A Ghost wearing a helmet approached the leader. "Um, Commander, he's destroying us! What should we do?"  
  
"You call yourself a Supervisor?" the leader snarled to his subordinate. "Get him!"  
  
The Supervisor took aim at Yue and fired. The shot missed and Yue responded by vaporizing the Supervisor with a barrage of crystals. The other Ghosts and Shades fired on him and managed to hit their mark.  
  
"Keep firing!" Commander Shade ordered. "Keep him pinned down so he can't fly!"  
  
Some Ghosts floated behind Yue and fired at his wings. Yue was thrown forward, then backward. "Enough of this!" he yelled before spinning around at superspeed. The resulting vortex knocked his attackers down.  
  
"I need more room to fight," Yue told himself as the Ghosts and Shades struggled to get up from the floor. He spread his wings and flew upward through the roof. Once there, he looked for more enemies. Seeing nothing, he rested. He still felt the stings of the first attack.  
  
That proved to be a strategic error, for he was suddenly hit from behind. Yue turned around and saw a Ghost appear behind him. As he kept his focus on this enemy, he was shot again from the front. He turned and saw a Shade. Soon, more of the creatures appeared in the sky.  
  
Yue heard a laugh. He saw Commander Shade and his troops from the house appear with their comrades. "Thank you for flying into our trap, Moon Guardian," Commander Shade said before his troops fired on Yue again.  
  
Yue dodged this new attack and fired crystals from his hands, destroying some of his enemies. Unfortunately, more of them appeared and kept firing on him. Yue crossed his wings in front of him for added protection. It was a futile move since he was being hit from behind as well.  
  
"Give up! You can't win!" Commander Shade shouted.  
  
Frustrated, Yue began firing arrows randomly at the Ghosts and Shades. His shots proved to be accurate; his targets disintegrated quickly, and their number was dramatically reduced.  
  
"Care to rethink that statement?" Yue said with a cold grin before firing crystals on the Commander.  
  
Commander Shade dodged Yue's crystals, which hit two Ghosts. He snarled and aimed his arm at Yue. "Shadow Spike!" he shouted, launching a spike-shaped projectile. It hit him, releasing a dark fog.  
  
Yue tried to look past the darkness enveloping him. He continued to fire at the enemy and managed to take out more of them. They returned fire, their shots occasionally hitting him. While returning fire, Yue failed to notice something appear behind him. He heard a hissing sound. Before he could react, it leapt on him and wrapped itself tightly around him.  
  
"Aaaaaaaaaa!" Yue felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder. His captor had bitten him. A cobra head appeared in front of his eyes. Like the Ghosts and Shades, it looked mechanical. It hissed loudly, as if daring the Moon Guardian to break free of its grasp. Yue felt the snake's body tighten around his body. He struggled, but the serpent's grip was too strong. *How?* he thought, feeling dizzy. He realized the bite was venomous. He felt a burning sensation in his body. He thought, *I am a creation of Clow Read. How can this...?*  
  
Yue could not complete his thought. The venom took its effect, and the Moon Guardian collapsed to the floor, unconscious. The snake hissed its victory, tightening its grip. Its mouth opened, revealing the fangs that brought down its victim.  
  
As the darkness faded away, the remaining Ghosts and Shades surrounded the fallen Guardian. "Worm, don't kill the Guardian yet," Commander Shade ordered just as the snake was about to bite Yue again. "After all, the Master prefers live bait."  
  
The Worm hissed and closed its mouth. It tightened its hold around Yue.  
  
"Let's go!" Commander Shade shouted to his troops, satisfied his Master's order was carried out. The Moon Guardian was his now.  
  
A portal opened below Yue and his captor. Both descended into it followed by the remaining Ghosts and Shades. It vanished, leaving a quiet, empty house.  



	2. Chapter 2 and Chapter 3

HA: Before I resume the story, I'd like to thank Sakura Akane Saotome for pointing out grammatical errors while she proofread my story. I forgot to mention it in the first section. My bad.  
  
The Funhouse  
Chapter Two: Send In the Clown  
  
The next day, Yukito's disappearance was discovered and a police investigation was launched. They studied the crime scene, but did not have any leads and ignored the various reports about seeing ghosts and angels fighting in the area, which they attributed to overactive imaginations and too much beer or sake. They were still trying to figure out the hole in the ceiling, but all they could conclude was that a fight occurred.  
  
At the Kinomoto household, the news left a depressing feeling with everyone. Touya banged his fist on the dining table. "I should've gone with him. If I did, he'd still be safe."  
  
Despite running late, Sakura ate her food slowly. She was amazed she could eat. Her friend and Moon Guardian had been kidnapped. She was sure Yukito changed into Yue and fought back, but it was to no avail. She looked at Touya, knowing how Yukito's disappearance affected him. She felt her brother's frustration and anger. *Please be okay, Yukito-san. Not for only my sake, but for oniichan's too.*  
  
Fujitaka tried to reassure his children. "Don't worry. The police will find him."  
  
Touya bowed his head, not convinced. Sakura got up from the table. "I'm not hungry anymore," she said, leaving to fetch her rollerblades.  
  
* * * * *  
  
After school, Sakura tried her best at cheerleading club, but her heart was not into it. Everyone else noticed her lack of energy and asked what was wrong. They knew, though.  
  
*How could someone defeat Yue-san?* Sakura thought as she tried to keep up with the other cheerleaders as they waved their pompoms and cheered. She knew Yue was powerful from experience. Before becoming her Guardian, Yue was the Judge who determined whether or not the possessor of the Clow Cards was worthy to be their master. She had trouble defeating him on her own, but with the help of Mizuki Kaho and her Moon Bell, her wand was transformed into the Star Wand and her power was increased. With this and the love of the Cards, she defeated Yue and he agreed to serve her. It probably did not hurt for her to say she wanted to be his friend too.  
  
Still worried about her friend, Sakura tossed one of her pom-poms out of her hand. It flew towards the thick group of trees next to the school.  
  
"I'll get it!" Sakura cried out, running towards the trees. She started searching for the pompom, but could not see it on the ground or in one of the trees.  
  
"Do you believe in angels, Cardmistress?" a voice asked from above.  
  
Sakura looked up, startled. "Hoe?"  
  
A gaunt man crouched on a branch above her. He held her pompom. Sakura stared at him. He was dressed in a clown's costume, with a fool's cap and long shoes with curved, pointy toes. Before Sakura could say anything, he leapt out of his branch and landed before her. As he got up, Sakura gasped. His face seemed normal for a clown: whiteface with eye makeup, red lips, and nose. Large, white gloves covered his hands. He was not dressed as an ordinary clown. Skulls hung from the tips of the fool's cap. Instead of cheerful colors, he wore white and gray with skulls.  
  
"Well, do you believe in angels?" he asked again, gazing at Sakura with ice-blue eyes.  
  
Sakura regained her composure. "W-w-what do you mean?"  
  
The clown grinned, showing his large, white teeth. "Oh, you know, angels. Winged creatures, man-like, long white hair, very bad attitude..." He grinned. "Maybe a visual aid will help." He made an image of Yue appear in the palm of his hand.  
  
Sakura gasped at the sight. "You! You took Yukito-san!"  
  
"Oh, that's his false name?" the clown asked with mock wonderment, making the image of Yue disappear. "Funny, he didn't mention that."  
  
"What have you done with him?" Sakura demanded. "What have you done with Yue-san?"  
  
"You mean besides the poison in his system that's slowly killing him?" the clown mentioned. "Nothing yet."  
  
"Poison?" Sakura's eyes flew wide open. *Yue-san's too powerful to succumb to poison! But if he managed to capture him...* She reached instinctively for something around her neck, but she realized it was not there.  
  
The clown let out what sounded to Sakura the strangest laugh she ever heard. "Oh, the Star Key, right?" he said with a grin. "You left it at home, didn't you?"  
  
Sakura gulped and tried to stay calm.  
  
"And you left your little deck of Clow Cards with it, too." The clown looked thoughtful. "Correction: Sakura Cards."  
  
Sakura stepped back. "How do you know about the Cards?"  
  
The clown let out another bizarre laugh. "I know everything. Clow Read, the Key, the Cards, your two Guardians," he said, smirking. "I know who you are, Sakura Kinomoto."  
  
Sakura looked at him nervously. "Who are you?"  
  
"Just call me...Psycho," he answered, bowing a little.  
  
"Psycho?" Sakura repeated.  
  
"That's my name. Don't wear it out, kiddo," Psycho said with a grin before unleashing another fit of laughter.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
Psycho chuckled. "Why, your Key and Cards, little girl."  
  
"But I don't have them with me."  
  
Psycho laughed. "Then you'll have to bring them to Tomoeda Yuuen."  
  
"Tomoeda Yuuen?" Sakura wondered.  
  
"That's right," Psycho answered. "If you don't bring them there, your Moon Guardian dies."  
  
*No!* Sakura thought. Her mind came up with evil things the clown could do with the Sakura Cards. She thought only she could control them, but something about him bothered her. *He could find a way to control them. I'm sure he'll use them for evil, but I can't risk Yue-san's life.*  
  
"Well?" Psycho asked impatiently.  
  
Sakura swallowed. "I'll do it. I'll bring you the Sakura Cards and the Star Key. For Yue-san and Yukito-san."  
  
Psycho smiled evilly. "Well, that wasn't so hard, was it?" He leaned forward so Sakura could see his ice-blue eyes. "Bring them to Tomoeda Yuuen around, oh say, midnight."  
  
Sakura met his gaze. "I'll be there," she said in a resigned tone.  
  
Psycho stood back up. "Oh, and come alone. Don't bring that other guardian of yours. If I see someone with you, Angel Boy dies. Got it?"  
  
Sakura nodded silently. *What choice do I have? I have to save Yue-san.*  
  
"Good girl." Psycho tossed Sakura's pompom back at her, who caught it with ease. "Now run along and be a happy little bimbo-in-training. You gotta practice jumping around and shouting stupid cheers." He left Sakura while laughing loudly.  
  
As Sakura returned to cheerleading club with her pompom, she failed to notice a dark-haired girl hiding behind another tree. Tomoyo watched her friend with concern. She had followed her, worried over her sadness over Yukito's disappearance. She stepped out and followed the path the clown had taken. Rounding a corner, she found no one. Puzzled, she went back to watch Sakura practice. *Sakura-chan, what have you gotten yourself into?* she thought as she watched her best friend try her best to look lively.  
  
* * * * *  
  
In a dark chamber, Yue was chained to the wall. The Worm was still wrapped around him tightly. Despite it being asleep, Yue could not get it off him. The Worm's venom affected the Moon Guardian greatly. He suffered from frequent seizures and was paler than usual. He was surprised at these reactions. *I am a creation of Clow Read's magic. Poison can't affect me.*  
  
"Awwwwwwww, enjoying your stay?"  
  
Psycho appeared before Yue, much to his anger. He glared at his captor. "Come to gloat some more?"  
  
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Psycho said, grinning. "Aren't we in a bad mood? What's wrong? Hanging around too much for you?"  
  
Yue snarled. "If I were free..." His speech was interrupted by a seizure.  
  
"Gotta love that Worm venom. Guaranteed to affect even the most powerful magical beings." Psycho laughed. "News flash, Bird Boy. You aren't free. Anyway, I'm not here to gloat. I'm here to deliver some news."  
  
Yue's seizure wore off. "What news?"  
  
Psycho flashed his evil grin. "Your mistress agreed to surrender her Cards and Key in exchange for you."  
  
Yue's eyes widened with surprise. "What? She can't!"  
  
"But she is. She's coming around midnight." Psycho approached the captured Moon Guardian. "Alone, I might add. Can't have the other guy spoil my fun."  
  
Yue tried to struggle out of his bonds, but the Worm, still asleep, tightened its grip. It almost woke up, but it submitted to sleep.  
  
"Naughty, naughty," Psycho said, wagging his finger. "One more bite and it's bye bye birdie. We wouldn't want little Sakura to find her friend dead, now would we?"  
  
"You told me yourself this venom will kill me eventually," Yue reminded the clown. "I could be dead when she comes."  
  
Psycho giggled. "True, but she doesn't have to know that. You're lucky you were bitten in your true form. If you were in your false shape, you'd be another body for the coroner to cut up for an autopsy."  
  
"She wouldn't agree to your demands," Yue said defiantly.  
  
Psycho laughed a little. "But she did. After all, you're her friend. She'll do anything for you." He paused, then grinned. "Of course, she's probably more worried about that other form of yours."  
  
"My mistress cares deeply for both of us," Yue observed.  
  
"Lovely. Then she won't know what'll hit her." An evil gleam appeared in Psycho's eyes.  
  
Psycho got ready to leave. "What do you mean by that?" Yue demanded. "Who are you? Why do you want the Key and Cards?"  
  
Psycho turned around. "Can you keep a secret?"  
  
Yue stared at the clown coldly. He did not respond.  
  
"Hmph, you're no fun," Psycho said, upset Yue did not fall into that old joke. "Well, sleep tight. Don't let the Worm bite."  
  
Yue watched as Psycho broke out into another fit of maniacal laughter before disappearing. His seizures broke out again. The Worm stirred a little, but it thankfully returned to its slumber. Yue felt the seizures fading. Knowing he could do nothing to help Sakura, Yue gave in to sleep, hoping his mistress would be able to handle what Psycho had planned for her.  
  
  
  
Chapter 3: A Difficult Decision  
  
At home, Sakura sat on her bed, pondering what she had sworn to do. A while ago, she promised to deliver the Star Key and the Sakura Cards to a strange clown in order to save Yue's life. At the moment, she had been scared, but now she was calm enough to think things over.  
  
Kero-chan noticed the thoughtful look on Sakura's face. "Hey, Sakura, are you okay?"  
  
"Oh, I'm fine, Kero-chan," Sakura tried to assure her friend.  
  
Kero-chan raised an eyebrow. "You don't look fine. You haven't been fine since you heard about the Snow Bunny's disappearance."  
  
Sakura sighed. "I can't believe someone could just take him like that."  
  
Kero-chan crossed his arms and hovered in front of Sakura. "Well, from what you told me, it wasn't easy for whoever took him. He must've changed into Yue and fought back before they overpowered him."  
  
"Who'd do such a thing?" Sakura questioned.  
  
"I'm surprised someone could defeat Yue," Kero-chan said. "After all, he did give you a hard time during the Judgment."  
  
"Do you think it was something magical?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Who knows?" Kero-chan answered with a shrug. "If it is, it's gotta be something more powerful than Clow Read's magic."  
  
"You mean that's possible?" Sakura asked curiously. "Magic that's stronger than Clow-san's?"  
  
"Except for yours? Maybe. I dunno," Kero-chan admitted. "Despite all his faults, Clow Read was pretty powerful." He flew down to Sakura's lap. "Don't worry about it, Sakura. Yue's a tough guy. I'm sure he'll break out of whatever jam he's gotten into."  
  
"I guess you're right, Kero-chan," Sakura said.  
  
"I know I am. Now if you excuse me, I have a video game to beat. I need something to brag to Suppi in your next letter to Eriol. He'll have to start playing video games after he hears of my great exploits. Guy's gotta get his head outta the books more often." Kero-chan flew to the TV and started playing.  
  
Sakura shook her head as Kero-chan got into the game he was playing, then returned her thoughts to her own dilemma. *I wanted to get on with my life, to avoid using magic, but...* Sakura frowned. *Maybe this is the way to go. I promised myself I wouldn't use the Star Key and Sakura Cards anymore.*  
  
"All right!" Kero-chan shouted as he destroyed another enemy and increased his score.  
  
*But Clow-san and Eriol-kun see me as the true heir to the Cards. They trust me to keep this power and use it wisely. I can't give them to that evil clown...*  
  
"Nooooooo!" Kero-chan shouted in agony as he lost a life.  
  
*But Yue-san is my friend. I can't let Psycho kill him.*  
  
"Take that! Ha ha!" Kero-chan shouted as he blasted a series of enemies.  
  
*I need to save Yue-san, but if I give Psycho the Cards and the Key, he'll use them for some evil purpose. I may be the only one who can control the cards, but if Psycho could defeat Yue-san, he could do anything. Even control the Cards.*  
  
"Aaaaaaaa!" Kero-chan screamed as he charged the enemy only to get killed.  
  
*I could tell Kero-chan to help me, but if Psycho finds out, he'll kill Yue-san. What will I do? If I don't give Psycho the Cards and Key, he'll kill Yue-san. If I do, he'll do evil with them.*  
  
"Take that!" Kero-chan shouted as he blasted more enemies.  
  
Sakura looked at the teddy bear lying next to her. She picked it up and looked at its little eyes. "Syaoran," she whispered its name, remembering her love's gift to her. She remembered how Syaoran was so brave and supportive of her after he started assisting her in her cardcaptoring. Until a year ago, she did not know about his feelings for her. Once she knew, she felt better when she admitted her own to him. Despite the distance between them, she knew true love could never die and no great distance could stop it. She was sure the love between her and Syaoran was true love.  
  
Sakura touched the bear's face and felt its fur between her fingers. *I wish you were here, Syaoran-kun. What would you do in my place?*  
  
"Aw, man!" Kero-chan cried out as he lost his last life.  
  
Sakura gazed at the bear, then got the answer. *I guess I know what I have to do.*  
  
Kero-chan flew over to Sakura. He was clearly upset. "I can't believe I lost," he fumed.   
  
"Hoe?" Sakura said, not sure what was going on.  
  
"Didn't you see that?" Kero-chan's eyes fell on the bear Sakura was holding. "Hey, were you thinking of that gaki?"  
  
"Hai," Sakura said with some hesitation.  
  
"You can do better than him, you know," Kero-chan remarked.  
  
Sakura smiled at the bear. "I don't think I can. Besides, when I look at this bear, I think about him."  
  
Kero-chan groaned. "I think I'm gonna take another crack at that game." He flew off to try his luck again.  
  
Sakura held the bear to her face. "Thank you, Syaoran-kun," she whispered.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Sakura forced herself awake around 11:45 PM. She looked at her desk and was sure Kero-chan was fast asleep in his drawer. She was confident the large amount of candy and pudding she fed him after dinner was enough to ensure a long sleep. She changed quietly into something warm, then tiptoed to her desk. She opened one drawer carefully and removed the Star Key and Sakura Cards.  
  
"Forgive me, Kero-chan," she whispered to his drawer.  
  
Sakura snuck down the stairs and crept out the front door. She was amazed she did not wake up Touya. Her father was not a big concern. He was working late at the university on some archeological discovery. As she walked away from the house, she was grateful her clothes were warm enough for the cold night. The pure darkness was broken by the street lights, where flying bugs kept warm. When she was at a fairly good distance, she looked around, then took out the Star Key.  
  
She held the Key before her eyes and whispered, "The key that hides the power of the stars. Show your true identity. I, Sakura, command you under the covenant. Release the seal."  
  
With those words, the Star Key grew into the Star Wand. She grabbed it, then took out the Fly card. "Release. Fly," she whispered as she tossed the card in front of her and hit it with her Star Wand.  
  
Wings grew out of her back. With a leap, she spread them and was soon flying in the direction of Tomoeda Yuuen. *Yue-san, I'm coming,* she thought.  
  
Unknown to her, a mechanical bird was following her, transmitting her every move to its master.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Psycho watched as Sakura flew toward his location. "Well, looks like your mistress is coming," he said, turning to Yue and pointing to the screen.  
  
Yue watched the screen. "Mistress..."  
  
Psycho laughed. "Looks like I'll be getting the Cards and the Key after all. She'll do anything to save your winged hide."  
  
Yue glared at his captor. "She won't give them up without a fight."  
  
Psycho grinned. "Yeah, right. Even if she does, it won't matter. If I could defeat you, I can take care of Clow Read's heir. Especially since she's not bringing the big cat."  
  
"You underestimate her, Psycho," Yue told the clown. "She won't be a willing victim."  
  
"Funny, you weren't exactly Mr. Cooperative yourself," Psycho said. "Anyway, I hope she tries to fight back. It'd be really dull if she just lets me kill her so easily."  
  
Yue struggled against his bonds, ignoring the Worm wrapped around his body. "If you even...Aaaaaagh!" He went into another violent seizure.  
  
Psycho laughed as Yue struggled with his seizure. "Oh, I'm so scared, Angel Boy. I believe I will. Commander Shade!"  
  
The Commander appeared next to his superior. "Yes, Master?"  
  
"Get everything ready!" Psycho said excitedly. "We're having a very special guest coming over, and we really must prepare for her arrival."  
  
"As you wish, Master," Commander Shade said, bowing.  
  
Psycho rubbed his hands together. "Stick around, Guardian. The fun's about to start." He smirked as he looked at the incapacitated Moon Guardian. "Oh, wait. You really don't have a choice." He giggled. "You should feel honored. You've got one of the best seats in the house. I hope you enjoy the show. It's a little production I call Death of a Cardmistress. I guarantee it'll be a real showstopper!"  
  
Yue could only watch as Psycho broke out into another fit of maniacal laughter. The villainous clown and his subordinate vanished, leaving Yue to watch the screen. *Mistress, be careful,* he thought as he watched Sakura flying on the screen.  



	3. Chapter 4 and Chapter 5

The Funhouse  
Chapter 4: Welcome to the Funhouse  
  
Kero-chan's drawer flew open and the small Sun Guardian got out. "I forgive ya, Sakura, but I'm not letting you get into trouble by yourself."  
  
After a little struggle, he managed to get the door open. He flew to Touya's room. He found Sakura's older brother fast asleep, an amazing feat since he was still upset over Yukito's kidnapping.  
  
Kero-chan landed on Touya. "Psssst, hey, wake up," he whispered urgently. Touya responded with loud snoring. "Wake up," Kero-chan whispered a little louder. He got more snoring.  
  
"Wake up!" Kero-chan shouted at the top of his lungs. Touya grumbled for a moment, then fell back asleep. Frustrated, Kero-chan transformed into his real form and started jumping on the sleeping teen-ager. Touya's eyes opened quickly and he let out an "Aaaaagh!" from the brief pain. He blinked and beheld the armored form of Kerberos.  
  
"Finally," Kerberos growled.  
  
Touya rubbed his abdomen. "You could've just shook me lightly."  
  
"Hey, whatever works," Kerberos answered. "Anyway, we've gotta hurry. Sakura left for Tomoeda Yuuen."  
  
Touya grumbled. "Liked him better when he was just a stuffed animal," he mumbled. Kerberos jumped off the bed, letting Touya up to get changed. "Why am I doing this again?" he said, yawning as he searched for something warm to wear.  
  
"Because you care for your sister," Kerberos said. "She's putting herself in mortal danger."  
  
Touya nodded and quickly changed. "I'm there, but are you sure I can help?"  
  
"Something tells me we'll need all the help we can get," Kerberos answered. "Sakura and the Snow Bunny really need us now."  
  
Touya's thoughts went to Sakura and Yukito. "Let's go," he said, determined.  
  
Both left the house. Touya found a bundled-up Tomoyo waiting for them. She held her video camera and her camera bag slung over her shoulder.  
  
"How...?" Touya began to ask.  
  
"Okaasan had a busy day at the office and is very tired, and I can't sleep knowing Sakura-chan's in danger," Tomoyo said. "Besides, I want to videotape her when she gets out of her dilemma."  
  
Both Kerberos and Touya fell down hard. "What makes you think she'll make it out alive?" Touya asked.  
  
"Because she's Sakura-chan," Tomoyo answered optimistically. "If Sakura-chan's involved, everything will be fine."  
  
"I dunno," Kerberos said. "This clown you told us about has got to be very powerful if he could capture Yue. In fact, I'm starting to think I should go alone."  
  
"No way," Tomoyo said. "You'll need backup and someone to tape everything."  
  
"I'm not going to let some clown hurt Yuki and my little sister," Touya said seriously.  
  
Tomoyo looked at Touya with her all-knowing eyes. "You care a lot about Sakura-chan."  
  
Touya cracked a smile. "Hey, she may be a kaiiju, but she's my kaiiju."  
  
"I wish Li-kun was here to help," Tomoyo admitted.  
  
"Well, he isn't," Touya said sharply.  
  
"We must go now," Kerberos said, preventing a possible Touya speech on how the "gaki" was bad news. Despite his own opinion on Syaoran, the Sun Guardian knew no more time could be wasted. "Climb on my back, both of you."  
  
Tomoyo was first onboard Kerberos. Touya eyed the winged lion reluctantly. "Um, is it safe?" he asked.  
  
"As long as you hold on tight," Tomoyo answered.  
  
"I can ride my motorcycle," Touya said.  
  
"Get on," Kerberos growled. "We don't have much time. Sakura needs us."  
  
Touya sighed and climbed on Kerberos behind Tomoyo. "Hey, you need to lose weight, Touya," the Sun Guardian commented.  
  
Touya grumbled and kicked Kerberos lightly on the side. "Just take off, you overgrown housecat. The kaiiju needs us."  
  
Ignoring the insult and the small pain, Kerberos spread his wings and took off into the air. As he stabilized himself, he thought, *We're coming, Sakura.*  
  
* * * * *  
  
Sakura looked down at Tomoeda Yuuen. The amusement park was a recent addition to the district. It had the standard rides like a roller coaster, Ferris wheel, and a carousel. The place stood out in Sakura's mind for two reasons: the last Clow Card was captured there and she confessed her feelings for Syaoran to him.  
  
She landed in the center of the park and her wings vanished. Looking around, she recalled how the last Clow Card brought the machines to life and sent them after Sakura, Syaoran, and the Guardians. Before, it had caused parts of Tomoeda to vanish. It proved to be a challenge to capture it, but Sakura managed to do it. It apparently cost Syaoran his feelings for her, but in the end, he still cared for her. Everything returned to normal in Tomoeda, and nothing unusual ever plagued it since.  
  
She looked around. The park appeared different in the night. No parents with their children were there to enjoy the rides and the cotton candy. No one was there to wear the balloon hats. All was silent. All was dark.  
  
Sakura made her way to the carousel. She wondered if the horses would come to life like last time. She gulped, worried if ghosts were on the prowl. She steeled herself for her Moon Guardian's stake. *Yue-san, I hope you're okay.*  
  
Sakura heard the P.A. system crackle to life. "Attention, attention!" a lively voice announced.  
  
Sakura recognized the voice. "Psycho," she told herself.  
  
"Will Miss Sakura Kinomoto please report to the Funhouse?" Psycho continued. "We have something that belongs to you. Something very valuable. It's a one-of-a-kind Moon Guardian." A fit of laughter followed.  
  
Sakura felt the ground shake. "Hoe?"  
  
A domed structure rose slowly from the ground. Tall spikes rose from its black-and-red checkered top. Sakura noticed the demonic clown face with its mouth open located in the front. "Funhouse" was spelled in neon red letters over the face. She heard crazed laughter and spooky noises from the building.  
  
She shook with fear, but she steeled herself. *Don't be afraid. Yue-san's counting on you.*  
  
"Welcome to the Funhouse! We got fun and games!" Psycho announced. "I see you brought the Wand. Do you have the Cards?"  
  
"Hai," Sakura answered.  
  
"Then show me the Cards!" Psycho requested with a laugh. "Show me the Cards!"  
  
Sakura took out all the Sakura Cards and held them up. In his chamber, Psycho grinned gleefully. "Oh, how wonderful! Good girl!" he said through the P.A. system.  
  
Sakura put the Cards away. "I brought everything you asked for. Now give back Yue-san!"  
  
The P.A. system laughed maniacally. "Oh, come now, Cardmistress. You really didn't think you'd get off that easily, did you? If you want Bird Boy, you'll have to come in and bring the Cards and Key to me."  
  
Sakura looked at the Funhouse's entrance and gulped. She started shaking again. Her teeth chattered, but she was not sure if it was the cold or the possible ghosts lurking inside the Funhouse.  
  
"Awwww, what's the matter, Cardmistress? Scared?" Psycho mocked.  
  
Sakura shook her head quickly. "Um, no, no! Of course not!" *I can't show him I'm afraid. I must go inside for Yue-san's sake.*  
  
"Then come into the Funhouse," Psycho said. "If you make it to the end and give me your magical items, you'll get your Moon Guardian back."  
  
Sakura walked up to the clown's mouth and looked in. All she could see was darkness. She gulped, then took a step forward.  
  
"Wait a minute!" Psycho shouted. "If you use your Cards in any way, the angel gets it. Got it?"  
  
*I can't use my Cards?* Sakura thought, worried. She felt she needed her Sakura Cards to face whatever dangers awaited her in the Funhouse. *I don't have a choice, though.*  
  
"Got it, Cardmistress?" Psycho pressed.  
  
"I understand," Sakura answered.  
  
"Good girl. Now come on in. Your Guardian awaits."  
  
Holding her Star Wand tightly, Sakura stepped into the clown's mouth. *I can handle this, I can handle this,* she thought as she walked further into the darkness.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Psycho watched as Sakura entered the Funhouse. "All goes according to my plan," he said happily. He waved his hand and Yue appeared on the wall behind him.  
  
Yue looked around Psycho's chamber. "Why did you bring me here, clown?" he demanded. The Worm briefly stirred, then fell back asleep.  
  
"Why, I thought you'd like some company as you watch your mistress come to me," Psycho answered, grinning.  
  
Yue bowed his head and glared at the clown with a scowl.  
  
"Why so glum, chum?" Psycho said with mock sympathy. "Your mistress is coming to save your feathered hide."  
  
Yue growled and kept his tongue still.  
  
"Oooooo, bad mood. Just for that, I'm going to make little Sakura's suffering even greater," Psycho promised. "When I break her spirit, I'll take the Cards and Key from her, then I'll kill her."  
  
Yue struggled with his bonds, but he made no headway. He broke out into more seizures. He gasped as his body shook violently, but he did not scream. He had no intention of giving the evil clown more satisfaction from his agony.  
  
"Well, looks like the Worm venom's really taking effect," Psycho observed as Yue's seizures faded away. "Seems you'll be dead before your mistress gets here." He smiled wickedly. "That is, if she gets here."  
  
Yue glared at Psycho. "Your plan will fail."  
  
"Tough words coming from a clipped bird," Psycho shot back.  
  
A klaxon sounded off in the room. "What the...?" Psycho wondered.  
  
Commander Shade appeared at his superior's side. "Master, we're detecting something approaching our location. It's magical in origin."  
  
"Sun Magic?" Psycho asked.  
  
"Yes, sir," Commander Shade answered.  
  
"Hmmmmmm..." Psycho looked at Yue. "Looks like I'll be having more guests."  
  
"Sun Magic? You mean Kerberos is coming?" Yue asked.  
  
"Definitely." Psycho cupped his chin with his hand and looked thoughtful. "It could be your mistress told him to follow her. Hmmmm...should I kill you now or wait for the venom to do it for me?" He giggled. "Decisions, decisions."  
  
"Master, we have the Sun Guardian on visual," Commander Shade reported.  
  
"Good. Show me the kitty cat," Psycho ordered.  
  
A screen opened in front of the clown and Yue. It showed Kerberos with Tomoyo and Touya riding him. Touya was hanging on to the Sun Guardian with a stoic face. Enjoying herself, Tomoyo was filming the flight.  
  
"Tomoyo? Touya?" Yue said, surprised.  
  
Psycho saw the two humans. "Oh, look, it's the faithful sidekick and your false form's boyfriend. How cute. How touching." He flashed his teeth as he rubbed his hands together. "I guess little Sakura didn't have Kerberos follow her after all. Good news for you, Guardian, because I'll let you live. The bad news..." Psycho made a dramatic pause before continuing. "...is that you'll live long enough to see them die."  
  
"No!" Yue shouted.  
  
Psycho giggled, then turned to Commander Shade. "I'm going to have some fun with the little lion and his crew."  
  
"Master, what about the Cardmistress?" Commander Shade asked.  
  
"Initiate the program and oversee everything," Psycho ordered. "Don't worry. I won't take long with them."  
  
"Yes, Master." A flat control panel appeared before the Commander and he started pressing keys.  
  
Another control panel appeared before Psycho. He looked at it. "Oh, which ones can I use on them?" He scanned the keys before laughing. "Of course! Arrows can fly, so I'll send them." His hands flew across the keys. "They'll blast the Sun Guardian right out of the sky."  
  
Yue watched the two screens before him. One showed Sakura walking deeper into the Funhouse. The other showed Kerberos flying towards Tomoeda Yuuen. "Enjoy the show, Moon Guardian!" he heard Psycho say with a giggle. "It's not every night you get to see your friends die on live TV!" Yue closed his eyes and snarled as the clown broke out into another fit of evil laughter.  
  
  
  
Chapter 5: Arrow Attack  
  
Sakura looked around her as she walked further into the Funhouse. She thought about how "Funhouse" was not the correct name for this place. In her opinion, "House of Horrors" and "Haunted House" were more appropriate. Darkness dominated the interior, but an occasional flash of artificial lightning showed the designs on the wall. They gave little comfort to the Cardmistress, however. The walls were covered by drawings of ghosts, witches, and other scary things. Sounds of ghosts booing, witches cackling, and monsters roaring enhanced the creepy feeling. Sakura found herself shivering. At some point in her walk, she wanted to release the Glow or Light Card, but she remembered Psycho's threat. She did not run because she was afraid of running into something.  
  
Sakura stopped and took a deep breath. She held the Star Wand close to her. *I need to be brave for Yue-san's sake.* She continued on, hoping a ghost would not leap out of the darkness.  
  
Commander Shade watched her from his station. "Well, she's doing well so far." He started pushing keys at his control panel. "I'd better get ready. She'll be arriving at the first trap soon."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"There it is!" Tomoyo shouted, aiming her camera at their destination. "Tomoeda Yuuen!"  
  
"The site of the last Clow Card capture," Kerberos recalled. "The place where the negative card tried to take all of the Sakura Cards for its own."  
  
"Right," Touya remarked, still hanging on. "Can't you go a little faster?"  
  
"Not unless you want to fall off," Kerberos responded. "We're almost there."  
  
Tomoyo spotted the Funhouse through her camera lens. "I don't remember that being there."  
  
Kerberos also saw the strange structure. "It must be where Psycho is. Sakura must be in there too." He started flying towards it.  
  
Suddenly, laser fire flew past the winged lion from behind. "Huh?" Kerberos wondered.  
  
"Watch out!" Touya shouted, seeing more weapons fire head their way.  
  
Kerberos started dodging the blasts, causing his two riders to hold on tightly. Tomoyo looked around through her camera. "What's going on?"  
  
In Psycho's control room, the clown watched Kerberos avoiding the lasers. "You're about to find out, little girl," he said wickedly.  
  
Touya looked around and noticed the sky was blurring in three places behind them. "Nani?"  
  
Three thin humanoid forms appeared around Kerberos. All had wings and triangular heads with side fins and a V-shaped eyeslit. They looked at the Sun Guardian and his passengers.  
  
Touya blinked. "Robots?"  
  
Tomoyo recorded the strange robots. "Where did they come from?" she wondered.  
  
Psycho grinned. "Arrows, fire!" he ordered.  
  
The Arrows aimed their arms at the flying lion. Laser blasters shot out. Kerberos noticed the glow coming from them. "Hang on!" he shouted, readying to take evasive maneuvers. Tomoyo and Touya did as they were told. Laser beams shot out, and Kerberos dove in order to avoid them.  
  
"Get them! Get them!" Psycho shouted.  
  
The Arrows flew after Kerberos and continued to fire. Touya found himself moving left to right to dodge the fire. "Any ideas?" he asked the Sun Guardian, leaning against Tomoyo to shield her.  
  
"Don't you worry. I'm very good at video games," Kerberos said, "and believe me, this feels like a video game."  
  
"Yeah, but we don't get a continue if we die!" Touya pointed out, ducking another laser.  
  
"You've got that right, kid," Psycho said with a chuckle. "Cut them off and don't let them land," he told the Arrows.   
  
An Arrow flew ahead of the others and cut off Kerberos. It aimed its arm laser at him. The weapon began to charge. Before it could fire, Kerberos opened his mouth and fired a fireball. The Arrow flew out of the way and fired, forcing Kerberos to move sideways. He fired again, but the Arrow dodged it.  
  
"It's too fast," the Sun Guardian remarked.  
  
"Behind us!" Touya shouted. Kerberos ducked in time to dodge the fire from the other Arrows. He found himself trapped between two lines of laser fire. He dodged them quickly while his two passengers leaned on his back and held on tightly. Meanwhile, the Arrows moved out of their own weapons fire while focusing on their target.  
  
Psycho watched this all with some amusement. "Ooooooo, Kittycat's got some good moves." He chuckled. "Too bad he's getting tired."  
  
As she hung on, Tomoyo recorded the Arrow in front of them. "At least I'm getting a lot of good footage."  
  
Touya rolled his eyes. "Do something! Fire back!" he shouted at Kerberos, ducking a laser.  
  
"They're too fast for me to hit, and they're quick with those blasters of theirs," Kerberos said.  
  
"You'd better do something. I don't think we can stay up here indefinitely," Touya pointed out.  
  
Dodging more crossfire, Kerberos knew Touya was right. He could not keep dodging for long. Once he slowed down, the Arrows would get him.  
  
"Kerberos, have you ever encountered something like this in a video game?" Tomoyo asked.  
  
"Hmmmmm, I think," Kerberos recalled.  
  
"What did you do in the game?" Tomoyo asked.  
  
"I charged and fired as quickly as I could," Kerberos answered. "That way the enemy wouldn't know what happened."  
  
"I think this is a good time to do it," Tomoyo suggested, barely avoiding a laser.  
  
Kerberos dodged more fire. "What choice do I have? Better hang on."  
  
"What?" Touya exclaimed. "You're not really going to...?"  
  
With a roar, Kerberos flew at top speed towards the Arrow in front of him. It locked on its target and fired. Ducking, Kerberos let out a fire blast that hit the Arrow before it could fire again. Engulfed in flames, the robot slowly disintegrated in a flash of light.  
  
"Funny. Robots don't do that," Tomoyo wondered.  
  
The two remaining Arrows pursued Kerberos as he headed toward the Funhouse. One increased its speed and flew into Kerberos' flight path. The other tailed the Sun Guardian. The Arrow in front prepared to fire.  
  
Kerberos growled as the front Arrow prepared to fire. *Got to time this right...* he thought.  
  
"Oi, but there's one behind us also, and it's catching up!" Touya mentioned urgently.  
  
Kerberos sped towards the front Arrow. It readied its arm blaster.  
  
"It's catching up!" Touya shouted, watching the pursuing Arrow.  
  
Psycho watched everything. "What's that lion up to?"  
  
With one Arrow right behind him, Kerberos charged the other. The front Arrow charged its blaster.  
  
"Oh, no." Psycho realized what was going to happen. "Stop, you idiots! Stop!"  
  
The Arrows could not respond to their superior. Within a meter, Kerberos dived before the Arrow knew what hit it. The pursuing Arrow crashed into its partner before it could fire. While they struggled to untangle themselves, Kerberos took the opportunity to fly up and toast them. Everyone watched as they disintegrated.  
  
"Yatta!" Tomoyo cheered.  
  
Kerberos descended to the ground and landed in front of the Funhouse. "Are you all right?" he asked Tomoyo as she and Touya climbed off.  
  
"I guess," Touya answered, glaring at the Sun Guardian.  
  
Tomoyo nodded happily. "And my camera didn't break." She checked the battery power. "I've got a lot of power left, not to mention spare tapes and batteries. I hope we get to Sakura-chan in time for me to tape her fighting. Plus I have a cute new outfit for Sakura-chan to wear. She'll look so perfect in it. After this is over I can send the tape to Li-kun so that he can see how wonderful Sakura-chan was."  
  
Both Kerberos and Touya sweatdropped. *Typical Tomoyo,* they thought.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Psycho's rage boiled as he looked at Kerberos, Touya, and Tomoyo standing on the ground safely. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh!" he shouted as he smashed the control panel in frustration. It broke into pieces that quickly disintegrated.   
  
Yue smirked at his captor. "What's the matter, clown? Did my friends break your toys?"  
  
Psycho glared at Yue. "If your body remains after you die, I'm going to stuff you and mount you on a shelf!" He clinched his gloved hands at his sides. "Arrows. Swift, but with little armor. Commander Shade!"  
  
Commander Shade turned to his master. "Yes, sir?"  
  
"Take over getting rid of the lion and company. I'll handle the Cardmistress."  
  
"As you command." Commander Shade flew over to where the screen showing Kerberos was while the fuming Psycho went to the screen showing Sakura. Commander Shade waved his arm and another control panel appeared. "Master, I've already activated the first trap program."  
  
"Good," Psycho said as he watched Sakura walk in the Funhouse. "I'll just watch and enjoy the fun."  
  
Commander Shade watched Kerberos, Tomoyo, and Touya. "What shall I dispatch, sir?"  
  
"Whatever Ghosts and Shades that aren't on duty." Psycho thought for a moment. "And anything else you want to throw at them."  
  
"By your command," Commander Shade said as he pressed keys.  
  
Psycho watched Sakura on his screen. "Okay, kiddo. Let's see how you deal with the Funhouse's first challenge."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Sakura continued walking in the darkness, unaware of what was happening outside and what she was heading towards. She stopped momentarily to hear the faint noises outside. *What's going on?* she asked herself. Remembering Yue, she took another step forward. It was too late for her to see the large hole in front of her. She put her foot down and found nothing solid. Unable to get her balance, she fell through the hole screaming.  
  



	4. Chapter 6 and Chapter 7

The Funhouse  
Chapter 6: The Sealed Room Trap  
  
Psycho watched as Sakura fell through the hole. "Have a nice trip, kiddo," he said, laughing.  
  
"Mistress!" Yue cried out as Sakura fell through the air, screaming her lungs out.  
  
Psycho faced the Moon Guardian. "Oh, don't worry. She's not going to die." He grinned. "Yet."  
  
"What are you up to?" Yue demanded loudly.  
  
"Shhhhh. Keep it down," Psycho said, pointing to the Worm. "You wouldn't want to die just yet."  
  
Yue glared at the clown, then focused on his falling mistress.  
  
As she fell, Sakura fought the urge to use the Fly Card. After what seemed an eternity of gravity-forced falling, she landed butt first in a darkened room.  
  
Picking herself up, Sakura dusted her behind. "Itai!" she remarked, feeling the soreness. She looked around, noticing how spacious it was. "What is this place?"  
  
A spotlight shone on the room's center, revealing two items. Sakura walked up to them and discovered a table and a cloth-covered oval object. As her eyes scanned around the room, she found no exits.  
  
"Oh no," she groaned. "How will I get out?"  
  
While Sakura tried to make sense of her surroundings, Kerberos, Tomoyo, and Touya studied the Funhouse. "Hmmmmmm, someone has a dark definition of 'fun,'" Kerberos commented, looking at the clown face entrance.  
  
"I guess that's why his name is Psycho," Tomoyo commented.  
  
Touya stepped up to the clown face, then saw Kerberos and Tomoyo still standing behind him. "What are we waiting for? My sister's in there!"  
  
"Gotta agree with you on that," Kerberos said, ready to charge into the Funhouse.  
  
"We can't just rush in there. We don't know what we're up against in there," Tomoyo reminded him. "That clown could have booby traps rigged inside."  
  
"But Sakura needs us," Kerberos said urgently.  
  
"We won't be any use to Sakura-chan if we just charge in there and get killed," Tomoyo warned. "Whoever this clown is, he isn't playing around. We have to be careful."  
  
Touya heard something. "Did you hear that?"  
  
Tomoyo pointed around them. "Do you see that?"  
  
All three saw ripples appear around them. Soon, a large number of Ghosts and Shades appeared.  
  
"Nani?" Tomoyo exclaimed. "Ghosts?"  
  
Kerberos took a closer look. "No. More robots."  
  
"More robots?" Touya said, eyeing the newly arrived enemy.  
  
"Okay, troops!" Commander Shade's voice boomed from the Funhouse. "Fire!"  
  
The Ghosts and Shades took aim with their arms.  
  
"Behind me!" Kerberos ordered.  
  
Just as Tomoyo and Touya obeyed Kerberos, the Ghosts and Shades opened fire. Kerberos used his wings as a shield from the blasts. Soon, he felt the stings of the shots and winced.  
  
"Keep firing!" Commander Shade ordered. "Don't let him get airborne!"  
  
The Ghosts and Shades obeyed and continued firing. Behind Kerberos, Touya noticed they were pinned against the clown face. "We've got to go inside! We don't have a choice!"  
  
Just as those words left his mouth, the clown face's mouth slammed shut into a wide grin. It seemed to mock Touya.  
  
"I think that option's out," Tomoyo said gravely.  
  
Meanwhile, Sakura examined the table in the room. It was small, circular, and wooden. She touched the cover of the hidden object and tried to pull it off, but it was not possible. "Hoe?" she cried out, tugging on the cloth even more.  
  
She heard Psycho's evil and bizarre laughter. "What's the matter, Cardmistress? Need to work out more?" the clown taunted.  
  
Sakura scanned the room for Yue's captor. "Where are you? What is this place?" she demanded.  
  
She got another burst of laughter from her antagonist. "Why, this is a little puzzle I came up with just for you," Psycho answered. "If you solve it, you get to leave."  
  
"If I solve it, will I see Yue-san?" Sakura asked.  
  
Psycho giggled. "No, but you'll be close."  
  
"So what's the puzzle?" Sakura asked, although she knew it had to do with what was on the table.  
  
"You'll find out," the clown answered gleefully. "Of course, if you don't find out before time runs out, you're dead."  
  
"Hoe?!!" Sakura did not like the sound of that.  
  
Psycho grinned and pressed a key on his control panel. Sakura watched as something appeared on the far side of the room. A spotlight appeared on it. She saw a black orb with arms, legs, and what appeared to be a digital timer on its front.  
  
"Meet Time Bomb," Psycho said. "It's got quite an explosive temper." As he spoke, the timer started to count down from three seconds. When it reached zero, the Time Bomb started to glow. Sakura watched as it exploded in a big kaboom that shook the room a little. The smoke cleared, leaving nothing.  
  
"Well, if you think that's a big bang, check this out!" Psycho said, his fingers pressing more keys.  
  
Sakura watched as more Time Bombs appeared around her. They started to fill up the room. She gasped as more appeared at her feet. Gulping, she looked at one's timer. It read "4:00". She glanced at others and found the time to be the same.  
  
"You have four minutes to solve my little puzzle," Psycho announced. "Otherwise, you get blown up into so many itty-bitty pieces. Oh, and remember, no Cards."  
  
Sakura cringed at the sight of so many Time Bombs. Her apprehension intensified when their timers started counting down.  
  
"Have fun!" Psycho said, laughing as Sakura waded past the Time Bombs to the table. Once there, she started tugging on the cloth. Her efforts futile, she jumped on the table and grabbed the cloth again. She gave it a big tug, but that got her a quick trip to the floor. Wincing from her brief back pain, she grabbed the table out of desperation, hoping to make the object slide to the floor. Her eyes shot out when she noticed that the legs were bolted to the floor. She made another try at the cloth and strained to pull it off.  
  
Psycho watched all this with amusement. "Boy, Clow Read sure knew how to pick them," he commented with a grin.  
  
"My mistress will triumph," Yue said, narrowing his eyes at the villain. "You'll see."  
  
"Ha!" Psycho said. "What I'll see is your mistress being blown up into so many pieces it'll take weeks to put her together again!" He giggled as Sakura struggled with the cloth. "I wonder if they'll glue or sew her together in time for her funeral. Maybe they'll just put her into one big jar."  
  
As Psycho laughed at Sakura's dilemma and the thought of her eventual demise, Commander Shade coordinated the attack on her would-be rescuers. Rather, he watched as his troops kept Kerberos under a barrage of constant fire against the Funhouse entrance.  
  
Kerberos winced under the enemy fire. "I...can't...hold...on..."  
  
"Ganbatte!" Tomoyo encouraged.  
  
That did not seem to help. The Sun Guardian wavered under fire, then collapsed, leaving his friends defenseless.  
  
"That did it! Cease fire!" Commander Shade ordered.  
  
His troops obeyed. Tomoyo was immediately at Kerberos' side with Touya. "Kerberos!" she shouted, shaking him. He made no sound or movement. "Kerberos!"  
  
"I think we have a problem," Touya said.  
  
The Ghosts and Shades got in closer for a better look. "That'll take care of him," a Ghost said.  
  
"He isn't getting up from that," a Shade declared.  
  
A Ghost eyed the two humans. "Okay, you're next," it said, aiming its arm at Tomoyo.  
  
Before it could fire, Kerberos rose his head and toasted it with his fire breath. The Ghost shrieked before it was vaporized.  
  
"What?" a Shade exclaimed before it joined its comrade into nonexistence.  
  
Kerberos got up quickly. Before the enemy could react, he let out a rapid spread of fireballs that disintegrated their targets. Tomoyo recorded the massacre. "Sugoi!" she exclaimed excitedly as another round of Ghosts and Shades was vaporized by the Sun Guardian.  
  
Commander Shade watched the debacle. "Aaagh! He was playing possum!" He looked at Psycho, who was laughing at the trapped Sakura as she pulled on the cloth in vain. "The Master will punish me severely if I don't keep them from helping their friend." He started pushing keys on his control panel. "I should've requested more of them, but I'll use what I have." He paused to watch his troops fire back and get disintegrated in return. "All those good Servers! Gone! I'll make that lion pay dearly for this!"  
  
As Kerberos was disposing of Commander Shade's troops, Sakura continued to struggle with the cloth. Around her, the Time Bombs counted down to their explosion time. She glanced at one and found herself with only two and a half minutes left.  
  
"If only I could use my Cards!" she shouted in frustration. Then she realized shouting would not remove the cloth by itself. *I need to calm down. I need to relax,* she told herself.  
  
The cloth seemed to hear her. As she lightened her pulling, it slid off the table.  
  
Psycho's eyes bugged out. "What? She couldn't have..."  
  
Sakura looked at the object on the table. It was a mirror. She looked at her reflection, then a flash of light engulfed the mirror.  
  
2:00...  
  
The light faded and Sakura found that the mirror was gone. Instead, a saw was laying on the table. She grabbed it and looked around for a place to use it. The walls were metallic, so she doubted the saw would work on them. Even if it did, she did not have enough time to cut a door before the Time Bombs exploded. She was about to panic when she noticed the table. "Of course! The table..."  
  
1:30...  
  
The saw understood and flew out of her hand. It began sawing the table in half at a breakneck speed. Soon, the leg bolts vanished and the table collapsed. Having completed its task, the saw disappeared.  
  
1:00...  
  
"Now what?" Sakura wondered. "I've got only a minute left before the Time Bombs explode. What's next?"  
  
0:45...  
  
"Oh..." Sakura looked at the table halves.  
  
0:30...  
  
"Think, Sakura, think."  
  
0:20...  
  
"Time's running out, Cardmistress," Psycho said, giggling.  
  
Sakura strained her brain until a thought struck her. "Wait, it's a pun on fractions!" she realized, returning to her dreaded memories of math. "The table is cut in half..."  
  
0:15...  
  
"And two halves..."  
  
0:10...  
  
"Make a whole!"  
  
Psycho gasped. "No! She solved it!"  
  
Yue cracked a faint smile.  
  
0:09...  
  
The table halves moved together on their own. Sakura watched as they merged, then flew over to a far wall and formed a hole. "Yatta!" she said. She ran for the newly created exit, not caring where it went.  
  
0:07...  
  
As she ran, she knocked over Time Bomb after Time Bomb. Realizing what she did, she ran faster, afraid they would detonate prematurely.  
  
0:06...  
  
"That little..." Psycho snarled. He cursed himself for not rigging an manual switch into the Time Bombs' controls. "Still, she can't run that fast. However, why take chances?"  
  
0:05...  
  
"Grab her! Trip her! Do something!" Psycho shouted to the Time Bombs.  
  
Half a meter away from the hole, the Time Bombs went for Sakura's legs. "Iie!" she cried as two grabbed her left leg, slowing her down. The others started to swarm towards her.  
  
0:04...  
  
Seeing the time, Sakura shook the Time Bombs off her legs, but more approached her and jumped at her.  
  
0:03...  
  
Sakura swatted them down with her Star Wand and for added measure, kicked the ones on the floor, causing a domino effect in the room. She bolted for the hole.  
  
0:02...  
  
Sakura picked up speed. Her lungs burned, but she did not care. She was grateful for her physical fitness. She was almost at the hole.  
  
0:01...  
  
*Hurry, Mistress!* Yue urged silently.  
  
0:00.  
  
Just as Sakura reached the hole, a Time Bomb glowed, then exploded. Its brethren followed suit in a huge chain reaction. In a backdrop of flashes of light and loud, large explosions, Sakura leaped into the exit. The hole closed in time, for the whole room was soon engulfed in flames and began collapsing into itself.  
  
  
  
Chapter 7: The Three Finger Salute (Plus More) and the Mirror Maze  
  
The hole opened in another area of the Funhouse. Sakura walked out with barely a scratch. "That was close," she said, relieved. She wiped the sweat off her brow and scanned her surroundings. She saw a single door.  
  
"No!" Psycho shouted angrily as Sakura emerged from the hole unharmed. "I was so close!"  
  
Yue smiled at the sight of his enemy agonizing over his failure. *That's what you get for underestimating my mistress.*  
  
Psycho noticed the smile on Yue's face. "Why are you so happy? You'll be dead soon."  
  
"You will not get the Sakura Cards and the Star Key," Yue declared, trying to fight an emerging seizure. "My mistress will defeat you," he said through clinched teeth.  
  
"Yeah, right," Psycho said dismissively as the seizure overcame the Moon Guardian. "You don't know me very well, Birdman." His anger faded once he remembered he was still in control. "In fact, your little friend's not out of the woods yet. I've got a humdinger of an obstacle for her."  
  
Yue felt the seizure fade away. "What would that be?"  
  
Psycho grinned wickedly. "You'll have to find out for yourself," he said as Sakura walked through the door.  
  
Outside, Kerberos disposed of the remaining Ghosts and Shades with his fire breath. "That wasn't much of a challenge," he remarked.  
  
Tomoyo had taped everything. "You were great, Kerberos!"  
  
"Why, thank you," the Sun Guardian said, grinning.  
  
Touya rolled his eyes. "Good grief," he muttered.  
  
Kerberos eyed the closed entrance. "Now to get inside." He ignited his fire breath and focused it on the clown face.  
  
Tomoyo filmed while Touya watched. "I don't think you're making any progress," he said, pointing to the entrance.  
  
Kerberos silently agreed. His flame was not working on the clown face. *How is this possible?*  
  
"Keep trying!" Tomoyo urged. "It has to give way at some time."  
  
From his station, Commander Shade watched Kerberos' effort to break through the clown face. "The little brat's got a point. I'd better make my move now." He pushed some keys. "Time for a three finger salute and then some."  
  
Kerberos increased the flame. He started to see some of the clown face disintegrate. *Yes! Only a bit longer...*  
  
From behind, the Sun Guardian was blasted by a missile. He was flung against the Funhouse.  
  
"Kerberos!" Tomoyo shouted, running towards him.  
  
"Nani?" Touya looked behind him to see the attacker.  
  
There were seven robots standing behind them. The first had a large orb on his head. The second had a conehead and bendable arms. The third had three-pronged claws and a head with triangular ears. The fourth had four-pronged claws, shoulder discs, and a flat domed head with curved ears. fifth had missile launchers for arms and one strapped to his back. The sixth wore a cape and a large widebrimmed hat. The seventh had long blades instead of hands.  
  
With help from Tomoyo, Kerberos got up. "More robots?" he exclaimed.  
  
"That's right, Guardian," the robot with the orb on his head said. "We're here to make sure you don't disturb the Master. Allow me to introduce myself," he said with a bow. "I'm Controller."  
  
"Altron," the coneheaded robot said.  
  
"Deleter," the robot with the three-pronged claws said.  
  
"Shifter," the robot with the four-pronged claws and flat domed head said.  
  
"Insert," the robot with the missile launchers said.  
  
"Cap," the robot with the widebrimmed hat and cape said.  
  
"Tab," the robot with the blade arms said.  
  
Tomoyo blinked. "Weird names for robots. Some of them sound familiar..."  
  
"What have you done with my sister?" Touya demanded loudly, shaking a fist at the seven guards.  
  
Controller eyed his enemies. "If you want to find out, defeat us."  
  
Kerberos glared at Controller. "Gladly," he growled.  
  
Controller pointed to Kerberos and Touya. "Attack!"  
  
The other six robots vanished. Kerberos and Touya looked for them. Suddenly, they appeared around them in a circle. Kerberos and Touya took defensive stances.  
  
Tomoyo looked around her and gulped. "Sakura-chan, I wish you were here," she said worriedly.  
  
"Touya, take Tomoyo to safety," Kerberos ordered. "I'll handle our friends."  
  
Touya ran over to Tomoyo. *No place to go,* he realized.  
  
Kerberos roared and breathed fire at the robots. "Go!" he shouted to Touya.  
  
"Come on!" Touya took Tomoyo by the hand and led her past the distracted robots, who backed off from the flames.  
  
Controller held out his hands and focused on the flames. The fire disappeared. "Attack!" he yelled to his comrades.  
  
Deleter, Cap, and Tab pursued Touya. Tomoyo took cover and recorded the fight. The Sun Guardian shot fireballs at the other three. They dodged them and Insert fired a missile. Kerberos dodged it and charged his enemy. Altron shot out his arms and wrapped them around the Sun Guardian's torso.  
  
"Nani?" Kerberos shouted as he was lifted off the ground.  
  
"Ground floor!" Altron shouted as he slammed Kerberos hard on the ground. He retracted his arms as Shifter fired a tentacle from his hand. It wrapped around the Sun Guardian and sent a powerful electric shock through him. Kerberos let out a scream. The tentacle released the winged lion, leaving him a little unbalanced. Insert took the opportunity to launch a missile at him.  
  
"Bombs away!" the robot shouted as his projectile knocked Kerberos into the Funhouse wall. The Sun Guardian hit the wall hard, but was able to pick himself up.  
  
"Oooo, tough guy," Shifter said, reaching for his shoulder discs. Kerberos fired at him, but he dodged the shot in time and threw both discs at him. They hit him, releasing electricity into him. Kerberos roared.  
  
"Kerberos!" Tomoyo shouted as the three robots advanced on the Sun Guardian.  
  
Tab was the first to charge Touya. He swung his blades at the young man, but he sidestepped the attack. Tab swung again, but Touya ducked and knocked him down with a sweep kick. Tab's limbs waved in the air as he tried to get up. Deleter's chest panel opened and fired a missile. Touya rolled out of the way and into Cap. He moved out of the way just in time to avoid a punch on the head. Cap's hand dug into the ground so deeply that he had to struggle with it as he tried to free himself.  
  
Deleter charged Touya with his claws swinging. Utilizing his soccer skills, Touya kicked the fallen Tab towards Deleter. He noticed how light the robot felt. Deleter tripped over his comrade and fell face-first. Cap yanked its fist out, then took off its hat and flung it at Touya. He sidestepped it, and it sliced Deleter in the middle just as he got up. The two halves fell to the ground, then disintegrated. The hat flew towards Touya, but he ducked and it flew at Cap. The caped robot dodged the deadly headgear and watched as it flew away into the night. Tab managed to get up and take another swing at Touya. He barely moved out of the way; his sweater was slashed. He looked at the large gash on his chest. Lucklily the robot had not made it to his skin. He glared at Tab. "You ruined my sweater!" he shouted.  
  
Tab responded by stretching his arms out sideways, then spinning at an incredible rate. He charged Touya as a raging tornado. Touya jumped out of the way, only to face Cap.  
  
"You made me lose my hat!" Cap snarled. "I'll kill you!"  
  
Touya held back the urge to laugh. He looked at the robot, then blinked. Cap was shaking. *Is it me, or is he...growing?*  
  
With a roar, Cap burst out of the cape and grew into a robot with large arms and pontoon-shaped shoulders. "I'm gonna crush you!" he shouted, marching towards Touya.  
  
Touya was about to run away, but he saw Tab the robot tornado behind him. Cap started running towards him. Looking in front, then back, Touya knew he had to time it right. With both robots almost on him, he jumped to his right. Before he could stop himself, Tab ran into Cap, and the two were lost in the whirlwind. Touya watched as Tab's arms flew out of the vortex and disintegrated. Soon the rest of him flew out and vanished.  
  
"That'll take care of them," Touya said. When the tornado vanished, he gasped, for Cap was still standing. He had cuts all over his body, but he was still active.  
  
Before Touya could react, Cap dashed at him and seized him by the throat. He squeezed hard, cutting off Touya's breathing. "Let's see what color your face changes to," the robot said, laughing as he lifted Touya off the ground.  
  
"Touya-san!" Tomoyo shouted.  
  
Kerberos saw his friend's brother in danger. He tried to fly towards Cap, but Altron shout out his arm and wrapped it against one of his hind legs. Shifter shot out a tentacle and got the other hind leg. Kerberos struggled to break free. Insert aimed and knocked down the Sun Guardian with a missile. He fell to the ground hard, then got more jolts of electricity from Shifter. Altron shot out his other arm and wrapped it around Kerberos' neck. The Sun Guardian felt his throat tighten and gasped for air. Controller, who was watching everything, laughed at his enemies' displeasure. Poor Tomoyo started generating ways in her mind to help her friends as she recorded everything.  
  
Commander Shade watched the battle. If he had a mouth, it would have formed a smile. "Master, the Sun Guardian is sufficiently occupied," he reported.  
  
"Good," Psycho said, keeping his eye on Sakura. "We wouldn't want the Cardmistress's friends to spoil our fun."  
  
While her friends battled Psycho's guards, Sakura found herself in a hall of mirrors. She looked around and all she could see were mirrors. She noticed her reflection in each mirror. Sometimes she looked normal. Sometimes she saw a distorted image, like being too thin or too fat. Some mirrors depicted her as an old crone. She stopped at a mirror and saw herself as a teen-ager in high school. The beauty of the image did not escape her.  
  
*That's me in the near future?* she wondered. The reflection was a little taller and was full figured, yet its face still exhibited Sakura's childish features. She was drawn to the image. *Will I be like this when Syaoran-kun comes back? What will he look like? Will he still care about me when I grow up?*  
  
Psycho laughed as Sakura admired her future self. "Your mistress sure is vain. Too bad she'll never grow up to be that."  
  
"My mistress will overcome whatever you throw at her, clown," Yue growled. "She will reach this chamber."  
  
"Why so positive, Terminal Case?" Psycho asked, grinning.  
  
"Because she is Sakura," Yue answered.  
  
Remembering Yue, Sakura moved on. She passed more mirrors and followed the turning corridors. As she walked, she felt like she was going in circles. "This place looks familiar. Was I here before?" She shrugged, and continued on, passing various reflections of herself.  
  
Yue watched his mistress wander through the halls of mirrors. "What is that place?"  
  
"The Mirror Maze," Psycho answered. "Guaranteed to confuse anyone, and since she's sworn not to use her Cards..."  
  
Yue tried to lean forward despite his bonds. "Mistress! Don't worry about me! Use your magic! Use your Cards!" he yelled at the screen, not caring that the Worm wrapped around him could stir and deliver its fatal bite.  
  
Psycho laughed, amused at this sudden outburst. "Hello, I think the people in New York couldn't hear you!" He grinned wickedly at the Moon Guardian. "She can't hear you. She's trapped unless she solves the maze's puzzle."  
  
Fortunately for Yue, the Worm did not wake up completely. It just tightened its grip a little, then fell asleep. Unfortunately for Yue, he started having another seizure. His body shook violently.  
  
"Hmmmm, looks like you'll be a real angel soon," Psycho commented.  
  
Yue felt the seizure fade away. The Worm was still asleep. "My mistress will defeat you," the Moon Guardian said defiantly, glaring at his captor.  
  
"Yak, yak, yak," Psycho shot back, turning his attention to the screen.  
  
Sakura was still wandering around in the Mirror Maze. She clutched her Star Wand tightly. *How do I get out of here?* she thought worriedly, looking around her. For the first time, she looked upward and noticed the design on the ceiling. It was a line of red circles. She followed them and ended up in another section that divided into two paths. When she looked up, she saw two lines of circles: red and green. Choosing to follow the red, she ran through the path and found herself back at the start of the maze.  
  
"Hmmmmm..." Sakura looked up and saw a line of green circles. She snapped her fingers. "That's it!" She ran back into the maze and looked upward. She saw a line of green circles above one path, so she followed it, ignoring the aging and deformed reflections in the mirrors. She continued to do this and found out she was passing through different sections. *If I keep this up, I'll reach Yue-san!* she thought excitedly.  
  
"So, she figured it out," Psycho said, watching the Cardmistress advance through the maze. "Well, it's time to liven things up."  
  
Yue watched as the clown stretched his arms toward the screen. *What is he doing?* he thought.  
  
"Nightmare Illusion!" Psycho shouted. A ball of dark energy flew out of his hands and into the screen.  
  
Sakura saw it appear before her. "Hoe?"  
  
The ball formed into a monstrous bird and flew at the Cardmistress. Sakura turned and ran as fast as she could, but the bird was too fast for her. It engulfed her in darkness. She coughed and went down to her knees.  



	5. Chapter 8 and Chapter 9

The Funhouse  
Chapter 8: Nightmare Illusion  
  
"Sakura!" Yue cried out as Sakura was enveloped by the dark cloud. To his relief, it vanished after a few seconds.  
  
Psycho laughed. "Now I'm gonna have some fun." He looked at the screen. "Okay, now!"  
  
Sakura blinked, noticed the darkness was gone, then picked herself up. "W-w-what was that?" Then she heard a noise from behind her. She turned around and saw something come out of the mirror. Her eyes widened. It was her. More accurately, it was the reflection of her from the mirror, the teen-age version of herself.  
  
"W-what's going on?" Sakura asked, trembling.  
  
She watched as more images stepped out of the mirrors. She saw copies of herself, herself as the crone, the wavy Sakura, the fat Sakura, and the thin Sakura. They surrounded her.  
  
"What are you?" she asked the images.  
  
All of them smiled, then started to change shape. They transformed into ghosts with black eyes and sharptoothed mouths.  
  
"G-g-ghosts!" Sakura gasped, her eyes open with fear. She looked for a way out, but she was surrounded. She was trapped.   
  
"You can't escape from us," a ghost said in an eerie voice.  
  
"No, you can't," another said.  
  
"You'll keep us company..." one started.  
  
"For eternity!" another finished.  
  
"That is, if we don't eat you first!" another said gleefully.  
  
Sakura was petrified as the ghosts moved in closer. "Get away from me!" she yelled.  
  
"Mistress, help me!" someone shouted.  
  
Sakura watched as someone appeared before her. She stared at the figure, who was bound with glowing ropes. He looked haggard. "Yue-san?"  
  
"Please help me," Yue begged.  
  
"I'm coming, Yue-san!" Sakura shouted.  
  
"But you'll have to go through us," the ghosts said in unison as they circled Sakura. "And you can't hurt ghosts, remember?"  
  
"Mistress!" Yue shouted.  
  
"Yue-san!" Sakura shouted.  
  
Yue sighed. "Just like before. You couldn't save me before."  
  
"W-what?" Sakura said.  
  
"I was fading away because your power wasn't strong enough to support my existence," Yue reminded her. "Your brother had to give up his ability to see ghosts to save me and Yukito. As a result, he became weak. Just like you."  
  
"Yue-san, what are you being so mean?" Sakura asked with tears forming in her eyes.  
  
"Because it's true, girl," a ghost said. "You couldn't save him, so your brother risked his life to do so. It's your fault your brother was weak afterwards."  
  
"Your fault! Your fault!" the other ghosts repeated.  
  
Sakura bowed her head and reflected on that moment. "It's true," she sniffed, her tears starting to fall. "If I were stronger, oniichan wouldn't have had to risk his life for Yue-san and Yukito-san."  
  
"You're totally useless!" someone cried out.  
  
Sakura raised her head and saw a boy dressed in green Chinese traditional clothing. "S-S-Syaoran-kun?"  
  
Syaoran marched up to Sakura. "You were lucky, Sakura. I'm more skilled at magic than you, yet Clow Read chose you as his heir. I guess he was drunk at the time because if he knew what a weak little girl you really were, he wouldn't have chosen you."  
  
"Syaoran-kun, please stop..."  
  
"I was the one who saved you on so many occasions," Syaoran said. "You wouldn't have all the Cards if I hadn't shown up. You're worthless."  
  
Tears overflowed from Sakura's eyes. "Syaoran-kun, please. What's happened to you? Don't you care about me?"  
  
Syaoran laughed cruelly. "Why should I care about a weak little girl like you? You're not worthy of being the Cardmistress!"  
  
Sakura sniffed. *Why, Syaoran-kun?* She cried, unable to hold back her tears.  
  
"There's only one way to solve everything," Syaoran said.  
  
"Wh-what?" Sakura said, wiping away her tears.  
  
Syaoran stretched out his hand. "Give me the Sakura Cards and the Star Key," he demanded.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Kerberos struggled with Altron and Shifter, but their grip were too tight. Touya tried to break out of Cap's strong grip, but could not. Tomoyo watched everything, not sure what to do.  
  
Insert gazed upon the fallen Kerberos. "Well, let's end this." He turned to Controller. "What do you think, Programmer?"  
  
"Finish them off," Controller said.  
  
"With pleasure," Cap said, still holding Touya.  
  
"Time for the grand finale," Insert said. He bowed and aimed his back missile launcher at Kerberos. "One kitty cat blown to pieces coming up!"  
  
Kerberos growled and struggled harder. Altron and Shifter responded by tightening their grip. Cap looked thoughtfully at his captive. "You know, I'd like to see you blown to pieces," he told Touya. He tossed him hard onto Kerberos, knocking the wind out of him.  
  
Altron and Shifter released their hold on Kerberos. Insert got ready to fire at Kerberos and Touya. "Okay, ready..." he said.  
  
Tomoyo watched all this with uneasiness. *I have to do something.*  
  
"Aim..."  
  
A good-sounding idea came to Tomoyo. *I hope it works.*  
  
"Fi..."  
  
"Matte!"  
  
Insert stopped and looked at Tomoyo, who was running towards them. "What do you want? We'll kill you after we're through with these guys."  
  
"Yeah, wait your turn," Shifter said.  
  
Tomoyo examined the scene. "But you're all out of place."  
  
"What?" Cap said.  
  
"What are talking about?" Altron said.  
  
"This scene just doesn't look right," Tomoyo said. She started pointing at places. "I think Cap should stand there because he has a big presence."  
  
"Really?" Cap said, pointing to himself. "Me?"  
  
"That's right," Tomoyo said. "Stand over there behind Kerberos and Touya. Come to think of it, you guys don't look too menacing enough. Too bad I didn't bring any more costumes. They could've helped. Can you do scary noises?"  
  
"Scary noises?" Insert asked. "What are you talking about?"  
  
*What is she doing?* Touya wondered.  
  
Commander Shade had the same thought. "What is that girl doing?"  
  
"You know, like 'Grrrrrrrrrr'?" Tomoyo answered.  
  
"Yeah, but we're not Ghosts or Shades," Altron said. "What about if we just say something cool when we blow them up?"  
  
"Hmmmmm...good idea," Tomoyo agreed. "Got any good ones?"  
  
"How about 'Die, heroes'?" Cap said.  
  
"No, no, no!" Insert disagreed. "I like 'Kaboom!' or 'Kablam!'"  
  
"That's so lame!" Altron shouted. "I like 'Buh-bye!' better."  
  
"That's stupid!" Shifter shouted. "I like 'Sayonara, suckers' a lot better. After all, we're in Japan. It's apropos."  
  
The four robots got together and started arguing over what would be said when they killed the Sun Guardian. The argument got louder, much to Tomoyo's enjoyment. Controller was disgusted. "Should've have given them individual personalities," he said regrettably.  
  
At his post, Commander Shade was furious. "Will you just kill them already?!!" he shouted at his troops.  
  
The robots stopped arguing. "Um, right," Insert said. When they looked at where Kerberos and Touya were lying, they were gone. Snarling, they looked for Tomoyo, but she was gone as well. "Where'd they go?" Cap asked.  
  
"Up here, metalheads!" the Sun Guardian shouted from above.  
  
The robots looked up and were greeted with a spread of fireballs. With Tomoyo and Touya on his back, Kerberos flew in the sky, raining fire on his enemies. "Sugoi!" Tomoyo exclaimed, capturing everything on tape. The robots were knocked down, but were not out.  
  
"You idiots!" Controller shouted. "The girl was distracting you while the Sun Guardian got his strength back!"  
  
Insert got up. "I'm gonna blow him out of the sky!" He targeted Kerberos, then fired his back missile.  
  
"Incoming!" Tomoyo shouted.  
  
Kerberos dove to avoid the missile. Just as he did, it passed over him. Touya reached out and grabbed it. As he held it, he was surprised at its lightness despite its size. He scratched his head at this physical impossibility.  
  
Tomoyo was amazed that Touya caught the huge projectile. "What are you going to do with that?" she asked him.  
  
Touya eyed Cap on the ground. "Payback," he answered. He flung the missile at the large robot, still wondering why it was so light. It sped towards its target. Before Cap could react, the missile hit him in the chest. Touya watched the explosion and saw Cap's chest crack. Cap fell to pieces and as they fell, they disintegrated.  
  
"Yes!" Touya shouted with a grin.  
  
Shifter threw his shoulder discs at Kerberos. "Not this time, pal." He swatted them aside. One hit something in the air. It flickered, then decloaked.  
  
"What's that?" Tomoyo wondered, aiming her camera at the revealed object. It was a floating orb with a camera lens.  
  
Insert launched more missiles at the Sun Guardian. Kerberos flew out of the way and the missiles flew skyward. One hit the orb, destroying it.  
  
Commander Shade watched as his screen went blank. "Oh no!" He turned to Psycho, who was enjoying the events in the Mirror Maze. "Master, I lost visual contact with the outside. My Window's gone blank. I can't direct the guards properly without the Camera."  
  
Psycho looked away from his screen. "For this you interrupt my soap opera?" he snarled.  
  
Commander Shade gulped. "I'm sorry, Master, but..."  
  
Psycho returned his focus to his screen. "You said Programmer Controller is an effective leader and a powerful fighter, correct?"  
  
"He is, but..."  
  
"He'll rid me of the Sun Guardian," Psycho remarked. "If he doesn't, he'll at least keep them busy long enough for me to get what I want." He grinned as he watched Sakura in the Mirror Maze.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Hoe?" Sakura exclaimed, staring at Syaoran.  
  
"Give me the Cards and the Key," he demanded, still holding out his hand. "You're not worthy of possessing them."  
  
"Syaoran-kun..."  
  
"Please, mistress!" Yue pleaded. "End my suffering!"  
  
"Give him the Cards and Key! Give him the Cards and Key!" the ghosts chanted, dancing around Sakura.  
  
Sakura took out the Cards and looked at them. She looked at each Card and remembered the adventures she went through to get them.  
  
"Give me the Cards and the Key now!" Syaoran shouted impatiently.  
  
She remembered how Syaoran arrived as a rival, but gradually became her friend. He did get some of the Cards, but she received all of them after the Judgment. Despite her being the Cardmistress, Syaoran stayed in Tomoeda. She was not so sure why he did, but after Eriol made his final move, she found out why. He confessed his love to her, but she did not give him an answer. Her lack of that tormented her until he came back for a visit. At that time, the final Clow Card, a powerful negative one, made its appearance and caused trouble in Tomoeda. Only after everything was fixed did she tell Syaoran she loved him. After he returned to Hong Kong, they kept in touch through written correspondence. They felt e-mail was not appropriate for them. Sakura kept all of Syaoran's letters and reread them occasionally.  
  
"Well?" Syaoran said.  
  
Sakura looked up. "No."  
  
Syaoran growled. "What?"  
  
"You're not really Syaoran-kun," Sakura said. "Syaoran-kun loves me, and I love him." She glared at him. "You're not my number one!"  
  
Syaoran narrowed his eyes and clinched his teeth. "Well, then. Looks like I'll have to take them by force!" He summoned his sword and charged at Sakura.  
  
Enraged at the fake Syaoran, Sakura forgot about the ghosts surrounding her. She grasped the Star Wand, ready to strike. When Syaoran was within her range, she swung hard. She hit him in the face hard, sending him flying towards some ghosts. She watched as he bowled them over.  
  
"Hoe? Ghosts can't be hit," Sakura said, puzzled. "I thought he'd go through them." She scanned the area for Yue, but he was gone. *What's going on here?*  
  
Syaoran and the ghosts got up. They seemed to be dazed.  
  
"You're not real ghosts!" Sakura said, realizing the truth.  
  
The fake Syaoran smiled. "Smart girl." Then he changed into a Ghost. The "ghosts" followed suit and became Ghosts and Shades.  
  
Sakura looked around her. "Robots?"  
  
"Fire!" the Ghost shouted.  
  
The Ghosts and Shades aimed at Sakura. She ducked in time to avoid their blasts. The Ghosts and Shades ended up vaporizing each other.  
  
"Not very smart robots," Sakura said as she got up.  
  
More Ghosts and Shades flew out of the mirrors. "Get her!" one shouted.  
  
Sakura's eyes bugged out. "But there's a lot of them," she said as they rushed at her.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Kerberos flew in for a landing, knocking down Altron in the process. He would have gotten Shifter as well, but he disappeared. "Get off, kids. I have a score to settle with these guys."  
  
"Stuffed animal," Touya muttered as he and Tomoyo did as they were told.  
  
Kerberos faced Altron. "You first, Stretch," he growled.  
  
Altron shot out his arms at Kerberos. He surrounded himself with fire and flew at the robot. He plowed into Altron, knocking him down. He hit the ground, then disintegrated.  
  
Shifter reappeared behind Kerberos as he landed. He got ready to fire its electric tentacle when Touya tackled him to the ground. Shifter slashed at his attacker, but Touya grabbed his arms and pulled him up, amazed that he weighted so little. Meanwhile, Insert hit Kerberos before he could attack. "I'm gonna blow you away, pussycat," he declared, readying to fire another missile.  
  
Touya flung Shifter into Insert's firing line. He launched the missile, but it hit Shifter instead, vaporizing him. While Insert was stunned, Kerberos let him have it with full power fire breath. Engulfed in flames, he exploded, then was gone.  
  
"Yatta!" Tomoyo cheered. "And I got it on tape."  
  
"Thanks," Kerberos said to Touya hesitantly.  
  
"Hey, the kaiiju needs us," Touya said with a smile. "The faster we get rid of these guys, the faster we can help her."  
  
Kerberos glared at Controller. "You're next."  
  
Controller vanished. "Hey, where'd he go?" Touya shouted.  
  
Controller reappeared in front of the entrance. "If you want to get in here, you'll have to get past me."  
  
"Fine by me," Kerberos growled. He ignited and charged the remaining robot.  
  
Controller held out his hands. "Vertigo Wave!" he shouted. The orb on his head glowed and sent out a faint energy wave accompanied by a weird sound.  
  
Kerberos found himself caught in it and fell to the ground. "Oooooo, feeling dizzy..." he groaned, his surrounding flame fading away. He thought the ground and everything else was moving. Left became right, and right became left.  
  
The Vertigo Wave hit Touya and Tomoyo as well. With their senses scrambled, they fell to the ground. Touya fought the urge to throw up. Tomoyo tried to keep her camera focused.  
  
"Prepare to die!" Controller declared, forming an energy ball between his hands.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The Ghosts and Shades advanced on Sakura. "Get her! She's nothing without her Cards!" one shouted.  
  
Sakura checked the ceiling for a line of green circles. Finding it, she thought, *Hang in there, Yue-san!* She faced the charging enemy. "Yaaaaaaaah!" she shouted, swinging her Star Wand in front of her. Each swing yielded a result; Ghosts and Shades were sent flying.  
  
"Hey!" Psycho shouted. "She can't do that!"  
  
"You said she couldn't use the Sakura Cards," Yue pointed out. "You didn't say she couldn't use the Star Wand."  
  
Psycho snarled, then calmed down and watched as Sakura knocked down Ghost after Ghost and Shade after Shade. "Well, well. Looks like you'll get to see your mistress after all." He grinned at Yue. "At least you'll get to see her one last time!"  
  
Yue bowed his head as Psycho broke out into a fit of insane laughter.  
  
Sakura ran faster, following the paths with green circles on their ceilings. As she hit Ghosts and Shades along the way, she thought, *I'm coming, Yue-san! I'm coming!*  
  
  
  
Chapter 9: End of the Line  
  
Kerberos and the others were still grounded by Controller's Vertigo Wave. They groaned under the overstimulation of light and sound. "Well, I'm sure destroying you will earn me a promotion from my Master," Controller bragged. "I like the sound of 'Supervisor Controller under Master Psycho.'"  
  
"Good for you," Kerberos grumbled, closing his eyes. The visual distortions plagued him no more.  
  
Controller kept bragging. "Maybe when I assist in bringing the Sakura Cards and Star Key to the User, I'll be made a Commander. Perhaps even upgraded all the way to Mega Class and made a Master. That'll be quite an upgrade, don't you think?"  
  
*Yeah, yeah, yeah.* Kerberos lifted his head and kept his eyes closed. He steadied himself and did his best to ignore the disruptive sounds.  
  
"Oh well, time to die." Controller got ready to launch the energy ball.  
  
"Got that right," Kerberos said. Following the sound of Controller's voice, he let loose with a powerful fire blast. Before Controller could react, he was hit. The blast was so powerful it knocked him into the entrance and he broke through the face's teeth. Kerberos heard a small explosion inside.  
  
"That'll shut him up," Kerberos said, opening his eyes.  
  
Touya opened his eyes. "Got him?"  
  
Kerberos looked at the gaping hole in the face's teeth. "It's a good bet."  
  
Tomoyo held her head and steadied herself. "Ohhhhhhh..."  
  
"Are you all right, Tomoyo?" Kerberos asked as they got up.  
  
"I'm fine." Tomoyo showed her video camera. "Good thing it's shatterproof. Otherwise, I would've lost all that great footage and I wouldn't be able to film Sakura-chan in her new battle costume."  
  
Both Kerberos and Touya sweatdropped. Their mouths dropped open. They tittered a bit but kept their balance.  
  
"Let's get going," Kerberos said, looking at the now-opened entrance. "Hop on. We're flying in." Once his passengers were on board, he flew into the Funhouse.  
  
* * * * *  
  
After knocking down Ghosts and Shades in the Mirror Maze, Sakura made it to another clown face entrance. The mouth opened and she ran in. She found herself in a large chamber. She spotted someone chained to the wall.  
  
"Yue-san!" Sakura shouted, recognizing her Moon Guardian and friend.  
  
Yue lifted his head. "Mistress?"  
  
Sakura ran towards Yue. Despite the Moon Guardian's paler-than-usual skin, she was happy her friend was still alive. "Yue-san!"  
  
"Mistress, no! Keep away!"  
  
Sakura failed to heed Yue's warning. Within a few centimeters, the Worm leaped off Yue for Sakura, its fangs out and ready to strike. Sakura came to a screeching halt once she saw the robot cobra.  
  
Sakura heard laughter from her right. "Gotta watch it, kiddo. My Worm has a nasty temper. You really don't want to get bitten."  
  
Sakura turned to her right and Psycho and Commander Shade appeared. A mechanical bird was perched on the clown's shoulder.  
  
"I must confess, I'm surprised you made it here," Psycho said. "I expected the Time Bombs or my Nightmare Illusion and Servers to finish you off."  
  
"Let Yue-san go!" Sakura demanded.  
  
Psycho wagged his finger. "Cards and Key first, Cardmistress." He held out his hand. "If you please."  
  
Sakura clutched the Star Wand to her chest. She gave the clown a "You'll have to take them from me" glare.  
  
"You want to fight?" Psycho asked. "Fine, but if we do, you'll waste time your friend doesn't have," he mentioned, pointing to the weak Yue.   
  
Sakura looked at Yue. After a moment of hesitation, she turned the Star Wand into the Star Key and reached into her pocket. She pulled out the deck of Sakura Cards.  
  
"Don't do it, mistress!" Yue shouted before another seizure overtook his body.  
  
Sakura watched in horror as her friend suffered through the seizure. "Yue-san!"  
  
"The Cards and Key, Cardmistress!" Psycho ordered. "Otherwise, the Avenging Angel expires right here. Worm venom is very poisonous. Believe me, your winged friend here's been having seizures all night long. You want me to give him the cure, hand over the merchandise."  
  
Yue's seizure went away. "Don't give him..." he said weakly before bowing his head.  
  
"Yue-san!" Sakura wanted to run to her friend, but the Worm blocked her path. It hissed at her, daring her to come closer and receive a poisonous bite.  
  
"Give me the Cards and Key, little girl!" Psycho said. "Time's running out on your friend there. Do you want him to die so horribly?"  
  
"N-no," Sakura said hesitantly, shaking her head..  
  
Psycho stepped closer to Sakura and held out his hand. "What is more important to you, a deck of cards and a tiny key or your friend's life?"  
  
*They're all important to me,* Sakura thought. She looked at the person who was not just her Moon Guardian, but a good friend as well. *I can't give the Sakura Cards and Star Key to this evil clown, but Yue-san...*  
  
"Well?" Psycho asked impatiently.  
  
Sakura closed her eyes. "Forgive me, Clow-san, Eriol-kun." She stretched out her hand with the Sakura Cards and Star Key. Grinning evilly, Psycho snatched them out of her hand.  
  
Yue looked up. "Mistress, no..."  
  
Psycho broke out into insane laughter. "Yes! The legendary creations of Clow Read are mine!" he gloated, looking through the Cards. "Hey, I got the complete set!"  
  
Sakura bowed her head, unwilling to face anyone. "You have what you wanted. Now release Yue-san."  
  
Psycho smiled. "A deal's a deal." He waved his hand, and Yue disappeared from his bonds. He appeared in front of Sakura, lying on the floor.  
  
"Yue-san!" Sakura cried, kneeling next to her friend. She gave him a big hug. "Daijobu?"  
  
Yue attempted a smile. "Mistress, you shouldn't have given him the Cards and the Key."  
  
"I had to, Yue-san," Sakura said. "I couldn't let you die."  
  
Hearing that, Psycho broke out into another fit of laughter.  
  
Sakura glared at the clown. "What's so funny?"  
  
Psycho gave her an evil grin. "Oh, just the fact he'll be dead soon."  
  
Sakura's eyes widened in shock. "Hoe?"  
  
The evil clown giggled. "You see, while you were getting through the Funhouse, the Worm venom made his condition worse. Plus, I lied. There is no cure."  
  
"Hoe?!!" Sakura did not want to believe it. She felt a knife stab into her heart. "No, Yue-san can't die! All I went through..." Tears welled in her eyes. "All I went through..."  
  
"Was for diddlysquat, Cardmistress," Psycho finished, digging the knife into Sakura's heart even deeper. She saw the tears fall down her face. "Look on the bright side, kiddo. At least you get to spend some time together before he expires."  
  
Sakura said nothing. All she did was cry and hold Yue's head up.  
  
"Aw well, time to make sure these Cards and Key serve our purpose." Psycho handed them to the bird, who opened its beak to receive them. "Scanner, do your thing."  
  
The bird flew off to a nearby platform. Placing the items before it, it shot out a light beam on the Star Key. After a moment, it aimed the beam at the deck of Sakura Cards.  
  
"This will take a while," Psycho commented, turning his attention to Scanner. "After all, Clow Read was one of the world's most powerful magicians."  
  
Sakura watched Scanner and the Cards. "What are you doing to them?"  
  
Psycho turned to Sakura. "Oh, something that's none of your business." He grinned evilly. "In fact, now that I have what I wanted, I don't need you anymore." His finger started to crackle with electricity. "I believe 'Sayonara' is the appropriate word for this occasion. Or is it 'Sarabada'?" He pointed at Sakura. "Oh, whatever. Joy Buzzer!"  
  
A bolt of electricity shot out of the clown's finger and flew at Sakura. Despite his weaken state, Yue shoved his mistress out of the way. Sakura rolled back and watched as Yue took the full brunt of the Joy Buzzer.  
  
"Yue-san!" Sakura shouted.  
  
Yue screamed as electricity coursed through his system. He fell back, smoke coming from his body.  
  
"Oooo, fried chicken." Psycho grinned. "Bad move, Birdboy. You just accelerated the venom's progress. Now you'll die in a few minutes, maybe even seconds."  
  
"Yue-san!" Sakura ran to her friend. "Why, Yue-san?" she asked with tears streaming down her face. She wiped her face. "Why?"  
  
Yue looked at her. "Because...you're my mistress...and...my friend..." Then he felt another seizure coming. His body convulsed at a faster rate than before, then started to fade in and fade out.  
  
"Yue-san!" Sakura shouted, hugging him.  
  
"Looks like I don't get to stuff him after all," Psycho remarked, watching everything with evil glee. "Aw, how noble, how honorable..." He pointed his finger at Sakura. "How futile!" His finger started to charge up. "Time to join your mother, Cardmistress." He smiled as the spark of electricity grew larger.  
  
A blast of fire blew open the door, and Kerberos flew in with Tomoyo and Touya. He landed next to Sakura. "Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo cried out as she got off. "Daijobu?"  
  
Sakura was surprised, but pleased. "Kerberos! Tomoyo-chan! I'm fine, but Yue-san..." She was really surprised when she saw Touya. "Oniichan? What are you doing here?"  
  
"Someone had to make sure you were okay, kaiiju," Touya answered with a little grin.  
  
Sakura smiled, then gave her brother a big hug. Touya patted her head. "Oniichan, Yue's dying, and I can't do anything about it."  
  
Kerberos looked at his fellow Guardian. "He doesn't look very good."  
  
"What happened to him?" Tomoyo asked.  
  
"Psycho poisoned him, and there's no cure," Sakura revealed.  
  
Touya bristled when he heard this. "Yuki," he whispered.  
  
"The Sun Guardian? Alive?" Psycho powered down, then glared at Commander Shade. "Commander..."  
  
Commander Shade gulped. "They must have defeated Controller, Master."  
  
"No duh, Sherlock!" Psycho slapped the Commander, then snarled at Sakura and her friends. "Correct this little mistake now!" he ordered his spinning underling.  
  
"Yes, Master!" Commander Shade stopped spinning, then charged the reunited group with the Worm slithering behind him.  
  
Commander Shade pointed both arms at Sakura. "Shadow Spike!" he shouted, firing two dark spikes.  
  
Kerberos leapt forward and used his wings as a shield. The spikes hit them, releasing a large dark cloud.  
  
"I can't get a good shot!" Tomoyo cried out.  
  
Sakura heard a hiss somewhere in the cloud.  
  
"The...the Worm..." Yue managed to say.  
  
The hissing grew louder, and the Worm lunged at Sakura. Before it could bite her, Touya grabbed it by the throat and lunged at it. Both of them tumbled out of the dark cloud, struggling for supremacy. "Oniichan!" Sakura cried out.  
  
The dark cloud faded away. Commander Shade glared at Kerberos. "You destroyed my Servers! You will die for that! Darksaber!" A beam blade shot out of his arm. He swung it at Kerberos, who avoided it in time. Kerberos let out a fireball, but the Commander dodged it.  
  
Now standing, Touya continued to fight the Worm, which was trying to wrap itself around him. It seemed happy for a new victim. Touya tightened his grip on the snake's throat. It gasped, and that moment of weakness enabled him to grab it and whip it on the floor. The Worm went limp. Angry for the dying Yue, he brought his foot down hard on the robot's head. It shattered immediately, and Touya watched as its body disintegrated.  
  
This did not escape Psycho. "Uh oh."  
  
To Sakura's surprise, Yue stopped fading in and out. His seizures stopped. His skin started returning to normal. "Hoe?"  
  
"It seems I'm getting better," Yue remarked, getting stronger.  
  
"But how...?" Sakura wondered.  
  
"Touya-san smashed the snake," Tomoyo pointed out. "I guess that's where the poison came from."  
  
"You are correct," Yue said, rising. "Destroying the Worm must have eliminated the poison in my body."  
  
"Yue-san!" Sakura shouted happily. "You're all right."  
  
Yue saw Kerberos and Commander Shade fighting. The Commander dodged another fireball. "Shadow Spike!" he shouted, firing one from his free arm. It hit Kerberos in the face, blinding him. "Die, Guardian!" the Commander shouted, readying for the killing blow.  
  
Before he could bring down his blade on Kerberos's head, Yue fired a small wind at him. It hit, causing the Commander to spin in place uncontrollably. "Now, Kerberos!" Yue shouted.  
  
Recovering his sight, Kerberos unleashed a powerful fire blast at his helpless enemy. Commander Shade was engulfed in fire and was vaporized immediately.  
  
"Sugoi, Kerberos!" Tomoyo cried out, taping everything. Kerberos posed for the camera.  
  
"Good to have you back, Yue. I think," Kerberos said with a grin.  
  
Yue did not crack a smile. He gave Psycho a cold look. "Looks like you're alone, clown."  
  
Psycho grinned. "My, my. Someone gets better so suddenly and he thinks he can take on the whole world." His finger crackled with electricity, then fired a Joy Buzzer at Yue.  
  
The Moon Guardian held up his hand and blocked the blast. "My turn." He reacted with his crystal shot, hitting Psycho in the chest. The clown was sent flying into the wall. The impact was so hard it caused a cave-in in the area. Soon, Psycho was buried under a large pile of rubble.  
  
"Looks like I'm back after all," Yue remarked. He aimed at Scanner and blasted the bird. With a shriek, it vaporized.  
  
Sakura looked at where Psycho was buried. "Yue-san, how could you?"  
  
"He was evil and he tried to harm you, mistress," Yue said.  
  
"Gotta agree with him there, Sakura," Kerberos said.  
  
"But he could've told us why he needed the Cards and Key," Sakura said.  
  
"Well, we'll never know now," Touya said.  
  
Yue looked at the rubble. "I didn't know that would happen," he admitted.  
  
Tomoyo went to her best friend and gave her a hug. "I'm so happy you're safe, Sakura-chan."  
  
"Me too, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura said. "How did you know I would be here?"  
  
Letting go, Tomoyo smiled. "I'll tell you later." She dug into her camera bag. "I brought you something special, but I don't think we'll need it." She pulled out a battle costume. "I made it a while ago. I was so excited you'd be back in action."  
  
Sakura sweatdropped. "I don't think I'll be going back into action any time soon, Tomoyo-chan."  
  
"Better get your Cards and Key back, Sakura," Kerberos recommended.  
  
Sakura nodded and was about to do so when the rubble exploded.  
  
"Nani?" Touya exclaimed.  
  
"Hoe?" Sakura said, shocked.  
  
A shape appeared above the rubble. The fool's cap was easily made out. The laugh was unmistakable. The eyes were different. Instead of blue, they shone an evil-looking red. "Here's Psycho!" he said, raising his arms.  
  
Tomoyo replaced a tape and resumed filming. "But how...?"  
  
"That's impossible," Kerberos said. "No one could've survived that."  
  
"No one human, that is," Yue said grimly.  
  
The clown made himself visible, earning astonished stares from all present. "Okay, now I'm ticked off!"  



	6. Chapter 10 and Chapter 11

The Funhouse  
Chapter 10: Psycho's True Form  
  
Sakura and the others watched as Psycho approached them. To be more accurate, he hovered toward them. His upper body rested on a pod with four spikes shooting out of its sides. A skull wearing a fool's cap was on the pod's front. His torso resembled a skull. His shoulder guards were skulls. The gloved hands were replaced by long, sharp claws attached to thin arms. The head was the only body part that resembled the false form he used. The red clown nose, whiteface, makeup, large toothy grin, and fool's cap were present. The exceptions were his eyes. The pupils shone a bright red within black, narrow triangular slits.  
  
"A robot?" Sakura said, astonished. Although shocked, Tomoyo kept filming.  
  
"Well, yes and no," Psycho answered cryptically.  
  
"Gee, this is a big surprise," Kerberos growled. "After all those metal goons he sent after us, he had to be a robot too."  
  
Psycho narrowed his gaze at the Cardmistress. "You know, this was supposed to be a simple job. Capture your Moon Guardian, get you to come here with the Sakura Cards and Star Key, take them from you and scan them, and kill you." He floated higher. "But no-oh! Your friends had to complicate things!"  
  
Yue glared at the robot clown. "It's over, Psycho."  
  
"I've got two words for you, Moon Guardian." A ball of dark energy formed in Psycho's hands. "Nightmare Illusion!" he shouted, firing.  
  
The energy formed into a demonic bird and flew straight at Yue and the others. Kerberos torched the bird immediately. "Was that your best shot?" the Sun Guardian said, mocking the evil clown as the Nightmare Illusion was vaporized.  
  
"Not really." A ball of energy formed in Psycho's hand and grew larger. "Psycho Bomb!" he shouted, throwing it.  
  
The Psycho Bomb came too quickly for Kerberos, knocking him into the wall behind him. Yue fired arrows at Psycho, but he vanished before they could hit him. "Where did he go?" Yue asked, scanning the room.  
  
He felt a metal claw rest on his shoulder. "Joy Buzzer!" Psycho shouted before Yue could react, sending electricity through his body.  
  
"Yue-san!" Sakura shouted.  
  
Kerberos shook off the hit he took and flew at Psycho. He knocked him off Yue, sending him flying. The robot clown stopped himself and fired at Kerberos. The Sun Guardian dodged the electric bolt and returned fire with a powerful blast. It drove Psycho off Yue and into the wall. Kerberos lunged at the clown, but ended up kissing wall.  
  
Psycho appeared behind Sakura and Tomoyo. He grabbed Sakura and lifted her in the air. "Hmmmmmm, have you been putting on weight?" he said with a grin.  
  
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo cried.  
  
"Let me go!" Sakura demanded, struggling to break out of the evil robot's grip.  
  
Kerberos got up and saw his friend in danger. "Sakura!"  
  
"Sakura!" Yue shouted.  
  
Both Guardians approached Psycho. The clown pointed at Sakura's head, the finger starting to spark. "Take another step and the Cardmistress gets it!" he warned.  
  
Kerberos and Yue stopped. Kerberos growled at the robot. Yue glared at him.  
  
"Good Guardians." The spark on Psycho's finger got larger. "Now watch your mistress die!" he shouted, laughing as he prepared to blast Sakura's head with a Joy Buzzer.  
  
Touya tackled Psycho from behind, forcing him to let go of Sakura. Yue ran forward and caught his mistress before she hit the ground. "Daijobu?" he asked.  
  
"I'm okay," Sakura answered. "Oniichan!" she exclaimed as Touya tried to pull Psycho down with his weight. His arms were wrapped around the villain's torso.  
  
"Get off of me!" Psycho shouted. He grabbed Touya's arm, then gave him an electric shock. Touya screamed as he felt the electricity being pumped through him. Psycho then threw him against the wall. Touya slid down, groaned, then lost consciousness.  
  
"Oniichan!" Sakura cried, running to her brother. She looked at him and shook him. "Oniichan, please say something! Oniichan!"  
  
"Psycho!" Yue shouted, angered at his evil act. He fired a powerful wind at the robot clown. Before he could react, he was caught in it.  
  
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Psycho screamed as he was blasted upward at a tremendous speed and through the ceiling, leaving a large hole.  
  
"That'll take care of him," Kerberos remarked, then he went to Sakura and Touya. Yue and Tomoyo joined them.  
  
"Oniichan, please don't die," Sakura pleaded, crying. "Don't leave me..." Her tears fell on her brother's face. Relief came to her when she hear him moan a little. "Oniichan?"  
  
Touya opened his eyes a little. "H-h-hey, can you keep it down, you noisy kaiiju?" he said with a little smile.  
  
Sakura hugged her brother, and he hugged her back. She gave him some room so he could get up. Yue held out his hand. "It is good you are still alive. Yukito would have been sad."  
  
"Hey, I'm a tough guy," Touya said, grabbing Yue's hand and letting himself be raised. "It's going to take more than some stupid evil clown to stop me."  
  
"Something's wrong," Tomoyo stated, looking around.  
  
"What do you mean?" Kerberos wondered. "Psycho's gone."  
  
"That's what's wrong," Tomoyo said. "He should've been back to finish us off, right?"  
  
"Maybe Yue-san's attack blew him far away," Sakura said.  
  
That hope was dashed when she heard insane laughter from outside. "Boy, what a rush!" the robot clown called from above.  
  
"Psycho," Yue said coldly.  
  
"And the Winged Wonder gets it right!" Psycho shouted, laughing. "Say, Cardmistress. Is your daddy home? I plan to stop by there before I come back. If he isn't home, I'll check out the university and say 'hi.' After all, I've got an electric personality."  
  
"No, not otousan!" Sakura pleaded.  
  
Psycho laughed cruelly. "Hey, I need to kill a Kinomoto. Might as well go for him. Toodles!" Then there was silence.  
  
Kerberos growled. "Let's get him," he said to Yue. Yue nodded silently in agreement.  
  
"Chotto matte!" Tomoyo cried. "We have to get the Cards and Key back," she said, pointing to the platform.  
  
Sakura looked at the platform. "I'll get them. Just stop Psycho from hurting otousan and please take care of Tomoyo-chan and oniichan," she told her Guardians.  
  
"We will, Mistress," Yue said.  
  
Touya mounted Kerberos. Tomoyo was about to do the same, but she remembered the battle costume. She took it out and handed it to Sakura. "You never know," she said, smiling. "I'll probably still be able to tape you in all your glory."  
  
Sakura sighed and tucked the costume under her arm. Tomoyo mounted Kerberos, and he and Yue flew through the hole to go after Psycho.  
  
Seeing she was alone, Sakura walked to the platform to regain her Cards and Key. She was almost to the platform when she saw two blurs before her. She gasped as two robots appeared before her.  
  
"Hoe?" she exclaimed.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Kerberos and Yue emerged from the Funhouse. Kerberos was about to fly off when Yue landed suddenly. "Why aren't you leaving?" Kerberos asked, landing besides Yue.  
  
Yue folded his arms over his chest and looked around Tomoeda Yuuen. "Psycho's still here," he said.  
  
"What? How do you know that?" Kerberos asked.  
  
"I just do," Yue said.  
  
Everyone heard evil laughter from the sky. "Boy, you're good, Moon Guardian!" Psycho appeared above them.  
  
"I thought you were going after Sakura's dad," Kerberos said, growling at the robot clown.  
  
Psycho giggled. "Why should I leave when the fun's right here?" He glared at the Guardians. "Let's play!"  
  
"Guess we won't be going anywhere," Kerberos said. "Better get off, guys," he told his passengers.  
  
Tomoyo and Touya got off Kerberos. Touya started to waver, but Tomoyo helped keep him up. She helped him to a nearby bench, then took out her camera and started recording. Touya groaned and tried to sit up.  
  
Kerberos and Yue faced Psycho. The evil robot fired Joy Buzzers from both hands. Kerberos and Yue flew away just as the blasts hit the ground. Kerberos unleashed a barrage of fireballs while Yue fired arrows rapidly.  
  
"Psycho Trick!" the evil robot said, holding up his hands. When the projectiles closed in on him, they evaporated.  
  
"Nani?" Tomoyo exclaimed.  
  
"Come on!" Psycho mocked, daring the Guardians to attack.  
  
Kerberos and Yue hovered in the air. "I think we need a plan," Yue said.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Sakura looked at the two robots guarding the platform. One had a cannon for a nose and vulcan guns for arms. With a Gatling gun on its chest, its torso sat upon a tank bottom. The other was tall and gaunt with a drill nose and long claws.  
  
"Well, Backspace, looks like the Master was right in keeping us on standby," the robot with the drill nose said.  
  
"Guess so, Enter," the tank robot replied. "We get a chance to kill the Cardmistress."  
  
Sakura gulped. *They're blocking my way to the Cards and Key!*  
  
"Well, let's get this over with," Backspace said, aiming his arms at Sakura.  
  
Getting the hint, Sakura ran. Backspace fired at her, his shots getting closer with each volley. Enter dove into the ground. Sakura ran to the door, but found it was gone. "Hoe!" she wailed.  
  
Suddenly, Enter shot out of the ground before her. "Nowhere to run, my dear." Fire shot out of the drill nose. Sakura moved in time to avoid becoming barbecue. Backspace moved towards her and fired his nose and chest cannons. She ran to the right side of the room. Enter dove into the ground and tunneled after her. Backspace turned and followed her. "Surrender! You can't do anything without your precious Cards!" he called out after her.  
  
Sakura found herself heading toward a corner. Enter tunneled out and surprised her. She turned around, but Backspace was behind her. He aimed all his guns at her. "You're trapped," he declared.  
  
Enter showed her his claws. "I believe you're dead."  
  
* * * * *  
  
The Guardians and Psycho eyed each other in the air. "Well?" the clown asked.  
  
Kerberos and Yue looked at each other, then charged the robot villain.  
  
"Okay, your funeral!" Psycho waved his hands and fired knives at them.  
  
Both Guardians dodged the rain of knives. Kerberos ignited and flew at Psycho. Just as he was closing in, he veered left and missed his target. "Ha!" Psycho laughed as he watched the winged lion fly past him.  
  
"Laugh this off, clown!" Yue shouted.  
  
Before Psycho could react, Yue hit him with a powerful crystal shot. The clown staggered, then laughed. "What was that, a love tap?" Before Psycho could attack, Kerberos hit him from behind at full speed and sent the evil robot spinning.  
  
Kerberos joined Yue. "Now?" he asked.  
  
"Now!" Yue shouted, firing a powerful wind blast at the helpless robot. Kerberos joined in with a fire blast. Both attacks combined and flew at Psycho.  
  
Psycho grinned and held out his hands. The combined beam reflected at the Guardians, who barely dodged the blast. "Nice effort. I give it a 9.5. Joy Buzzer!"  
  
Kerberos and Yue dodged Psycho's Joy Buzzer shots. They looked for an opening to attack. "Any other ideas?" Kerberos asked Yue after being singed on the side by a Joy Buzzer.  
  
"Psycho Trick!" A number of spike-lined tops appeared in Psycho's airspace. "Guardians, please fasten your seat belts! You're about to experience some turbulence!"  
  
The tops flew at the Guardians. One hit Kerberos and exploded loudly, sending the Sun Guardian crashing to the ground. Yue dodged the tops, blowing them away with wind bursts. They made contact with the others, causing an explosive chain reaction. Yue covered his eyes. When the flashes of light and noises subsided, Psycho was gone.  
  
"Where did he go?" Yue wondered, scanning the sky.  
  
He got an answer when he felt something grab his long hair. "One word, Moon Guardian: Haircut." Giggling, Psycho threw Yue to the ground. He managed to regain control and flew away just before crashing.  
  
"Joy Buzzer!" Psycho shouted, firing at Yue, who dodged most of the shots. He fired arrows, which Psycho avoided.  
  
Shaking off his injuries, Kerberos went after Psycho. Too occupied with Yue, the evil robot failed to notice Kerberos igniting and charging towards him. "Yaaaaaaaaa!" Kerberos cried as he plowed into Psycho, knocking him off balance. Yue took the opportunity to fire a stronger crystal blast at his enemy.   
  
"Aaaaaaaaaaa!" the clown shouted as he plummeted to the ground at an amazing speed. Everyone watched as he crashed hard.  
  
"Yatta!" Tomoyo cried, raising her hand in victory.  
  
Kerberos and Yue flew down to see if Psycho was beaten for good. They landed before the clown, who looked dazed. His eyes rolled in their sockets.  
  
"Well, looks like you've got me," Psycho said, groaning.  
  
Tomoyo ran up to the Guardians. "Do you think he's harmless?" she asked.  
  
"Let's find out," Kerberos answered.  
  
All three stepped closer for a better look. When they got it, Yue glared at his former captor. "You have lost. Admit defeat," he told the clown coldly.  
  
"Okay, I will." Psycho grinned. "Not! Psycho Trick!" He waved his arm and knocked down Tomoyo and both Guardians with a gust of wind. He laughed as he rose into the sky.  
  
"He was playin' with us!" Kerberos growled.  
  
Psycho laughed evilly. "Okay, time for me to play hardball! Reformat!" His eyes started to glow, then his whole body was enveloped in light.  
  
"Reformat?" Tomoyo wondered as she focused her camera on Psycho.  
  
Regaining some strength, Touya got up from the bench and joined the others. "What's going on?"  
  
Kerberos and Yue fired at the glowing robot, but their shots were absorbed and the light intensified. "Ooooooo, snackies!" Psycho shouted, giggling.  
  
"Don't fire anymore!" Tomoyo shouted. "You're just feeding him."  
  
The Guardians stopped firing. They watched as Psycho changed form. His pod vanished, and two legs shot out. His arms and torso grew larger. The glow soon vanished.  
  
"Nani?" Yue exclaimed upon seeing Psycho.  
  
Pantaloon-like legs with curved, pointed toes replaced the pod. Skulls decorated his belt and knees. Large glove-like hands replaced the sharp claws. The red nose was gone. The eyes were pure red. The grin was permanent.  
  
"He's bigger," Tomoyo gasped, awestruck.  
  
"Well, you know what they say about the bigger they are," Kerberos said, getting ready to attack.  
  
The new Psycho glared at the Guardians. "Now let's play!" he declared, laughing insanely.  
  
  
  
Chapter 11: It's Playtime!  
  
"Okay, who wants to be the first to tangle with the new and improved Psycho?" Psycho asked, looking down at the Guardians.  
  
Kerberos flamed up. "I'm gonna shut you up for good!"  
  
"Wait!" Yue warned, but it was too late. Kerberos growled and flew at Psycho.  
  
Psycho hovered out of the way just as Kerberos was closing in. He reached out and grabbed his tail. The Sun Guardian came to a sudden stop, then found himself being spun around above the villain's head. "Wheeeeeee! Helicopter!" Psycho shouted gleefully.  
  
"Let him go!" Yue demanded.  
  
"If you insist!" Psycho flung Kerberos at Yue hard. The Moon Guardian did not have time to move and fell to the ground with the Sun Guardian pinning him.  
  
Touya ran up to the fallen Guardians. "Are you...?" he started to ask Yue.  
  
"I'll live," Yue replied.  
  
Kerberos shook the dizziness out of him and got off Yue. He glared at Psycho. "Is that the best you can do, clown?" he asked angrily before taking off.  
  
"You know, I am a clown," Psycho said thoughtfully. "I guess I should start acting like one. Psycho Trick!" He fired a hoop of fire at Kerberos. Kerberos flew halfway through it, then it solidified and closed on him, pinning him in the air.  
  
"Awwwwwww, you didn't make it through the hoop." A whip appeared in Psycho's hand and he lashed him with it. "Bad lion! No soup for you!" he shouted, laughing as each lash struck the Sun Guardian. Kerberos winced with each hit.  
  
Tomoyo captured everything on tape. "Kerberos!" she gasped.  
  
Yue bristled at this act and flew up at Psycho. He knocked the whip out of his hand, then threw a punch. Psycho caught his hand, then spun him around and grabbed his hair. "Now what did I say about your hair, young man?" Laughing, he threw him towards Kerberos. "Psycho Bomb!" he shouted, firing three energy balls at them. Just as Yue contacted with Kerberos, the Psycho Bombs exploded on them. The two Guardians crashed in front of Tomoyo and Touya. They groaned as they tried to get up.  
  
"Ganbatte!" Tomoyo shouted. "You're the heroes of this video!"  
  
"Keep fighting!" Touya shouted encouragingly. "He's just a robot!"  
  
Psycho heard everything. "So I'm just a robot, huh?" He started to wave his hands. "Can a robot do this? Psycho Trick!" Thin threads shot out of his fingers and headed for the fallen Guardians.  
  
To Tomoyo's and Touya's amazement, Kerberos and Yue stood up. They were further shocked as the two Guardians started to fight each other. Kerberos lunged at Yue, who countered with punches and kicks.  
  
"What are you doing?" Touya asked loudly.  
  
"It's not us!" Kerberos cried.  
  
Tomoyo focused on Psycho. "He's right! Look!" she exclaimed, pointing to the clown. Touya saw him waving his fingers. He also glimpsed the attached strings.  
  
"I just love my new puppets!" Psycho declared gleefully. "They're so life-like!"  
  
Tomoyo and Touya watched as Yue ceased his attack, then started punching himself in the face. The Moon Guardian tried his best not to express any pain.  
  
"Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself!" Psycho said, laughing.  
  
"Break loose!" Touya shouted.  
  
Kerberos tugged on his strings. "I can't! They're too strong!"  
  
"I must concur," Yue said, pulling on his strings.  
  
"Try shooting them off!" Tomoyo suggested urgently.  
  
Kerberos readied a fireball while Yue prepared to fire some crystals. When they were about to fire at the strings, Kerberos's head was moved so it pointed at Yue, and Yue's hand was aimed at Kerberos. They fired, knocking each other down. They felt their strings come off.  
  
From above, Psycho laughed. "Puppets these days. They just don't last long."  
  
On the ground, Kerberos and Yue groaned. Still recording, Tomoyo whispered, "Sakura-chan, where are you?"  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Any last words before we kill you, Cardmistress?" Enter asked.  
  
Sakura looked at him, then at Backspace. *I can't give up, no matter what. There must be something I can do...*  
  
"We're sure to get a promotion after we get rid of her, Enter!" Backspace said happily. "Think about it. Programmers Backspace and Enter!"  
  
"An intriguing thought," Enter said, scratching his chin with his claw. Thoughts of a higher rank flew through his mind.  
  
An idea came to Sakura. *I hope this works...* She faced Enter. "Um, sirs?"  
  
Enter snapped back to reality. "What is it? Do you have any last words?"  
  
"Actually, I was wondering why being a Programmer is so great," Sakura answered.  
  
"It's better than being a Formatter," Backspace said, having heard Sakura. "It's a step up."  
  
Sakura kept facing Enter. She leaned forward and whispered, "Anyway, your friend here said 'Programmers Backspace and Enter.' You look like the smart one, so shouldn't you be mentioned first?"  
  
Enter scratched his chin. "Hmmmmmm..." He looked at Backspace. "She does have a point."  
  
"Huh?" Backspace said, baffled.  
  
"Why should your name come first? I am the smarter of us, so it should be 'Programmers Enter and Backspace,'" Enter said.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Backspace asked.  
  
"When we are promoted, my name should come first," Enter said. "After all, I am the superior model."  
  
"What?" Backspace almost exploded. "We're both Kilos, so we're equals!"  
  
"Ah, but I have more maneuverability than you, you tank," Enter said haughtily. "I have actual legs."  
  
"You're an overgrown mole!" Backspace bellowed, raising his head to glare at Enter.  
  
Enter met his gaze and stepped forward. "You know, maybe I should get rid of you and get the promotion myself!"  
  
"Hey, genius. We have to kill the kid before we get promoted!" Backspace shouted.  
  
"Good point. Let's take care of that first," Enter said.  
  
"Yeah," Backspace said in agreement.  
  
Both faced their target. Unfortunately for them, Sakura was gone.  
  
"Idiot! You let her get past us!" Enter shouted.  
  
"Me? You're the one who got an ego enlargement!" Backspace fired back.  
  
"I can't believe you let your eyes off her!" Enter shouted.  
  
"You started it!" Backspace shouted.  
  
Enter was about to shout back when he spotted Sakura at the platform. "She's getting the Cards and Key!"  
  
Backspace raced over to the platform while Enter burrowed. Sakura grabbed her Cards and Key. She held the Star Key before her eyes. "The key that hides the power of the stars! Show your true identity! I, Sakura, command you under the covenant! Release the seal!"  
  
The Star Key grew into the Star Wand. The timing was good. Enter emerged before Sakura. "Got you!" he declared.  
  
With no time to think, Sakura took the first Sakura Card in the deck and looked at it. She sweatdropped a little. *I might as well...*  
  
Backspace caught up to Enter and aimed all his guns at Sakura. "End of the road, kid!"  
  
Sakura tossed the Card before her. "Release! Flower!" she shouted as she hit it with her Wand.  
  
Flowers started raining on the two robots. "Hey, what's going on?" Backspace asked.  
  
Enter tried to move, but the amount of flowers weighed him down. "I can't move!"  
  
Backspace found himself in the same predicament. Soon, both robots were immobilized by the flowers.  
  
"Fire!" Enter shouted.  
  
"I can't!" Backspace cried. "My guns are clogged with flowers!"  
  
Now with time on her side, Sakura took out another Card. "Release! Power!"  
  
Enter aimed his drill nose at himself and started to burn the flowers. Feeling super strong, Sakura hurried to Backspace. She bent down and lifted the tank robot over her head.  
  
"Hey, put me down!" Backspace demanded.  
  
"If you say so!" Sakura hurled Backspace at Enter, and the two killer robots fell hard. Unfortunately for them, Enter's nose flamethrower was still on. The lit weapon ignited the flowers, engulfing both robots in flames. Sakura watched as Enter and Backspace screeched, then disintegrated with a loud noise.  
  
"Robots aren't supposed to do that," Sakura muttered. She remembered the battle costume Tomoyo gave her. It was tucked under her arm. She took it out and looked at it.  
  
Sakura sweatdropped and sighed. "Only for you, Tomoyo-chan."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Psycho lowered himself down just as Kerberos and Yue picked themselves up. "Had enough yet?" the clown asked tauntingly.  
  
Yue glared at Psycho. "We will defeat you."  
  
Psycho laughed. "You're way out of your league, Moon Guardian."  
  
"Big talk coming from a robot," Kerberos said, snarling.  
  
"Oooooooo, tough talk from the stuffed animal," Psycho said mockingly, wiggling his fingers. "I'm so scared."  
  
Kerberos growled and charged the robot clown. Psycho jumped over him, did a flip, and stomped on his back. Kerberos went down with a thud. Yue lunged at the clown, but Psycho did a flip kick on him. While Yue was recovering, Psycho caught him with a punch to the face.  
  
Staggering, Yue fired a crystal blast. "Psycho Bomb!" Psycho shouted, hurling three at Yue. Yue's shot destroyed one, but the others hit him hard.  
  
"No!" Touya shouted as the Moon Guardian fell.  
  
Psycho laughed, then grabbed Kerberos by the tail. "Hey, why break up a set?" he said before tossing the Sun Guardian on Yue.  
  
Kerberos and Yue groaned. "Ganbatte!" Tomoyo yelled.  
  
"Now for the finishing touches!" Psycho declared. "Joy Buzzer!"  
  
The Guardians found themselves being electrocuted. Psycho stopped the Joy Buzzer attack. "Psycho Bomb!" The resulting three Psycho Bombs exploded on the fallen Guardians.  
  
To the shock of Tomoyo and Touya, the Guardians were back in their false forms. Kero-chan was lying unconscious on top of Yukito's chest. Both were not in the best of shape.  
  
"Yuki!" Touya cried, running to Yukito. After putting her camera on "pause," Tomoyo was behind him.  
  
Touya was at Yukito's side. "Yuki, daijobu?" he asked, concerned.  
  
"Kero-chan!" Tomoyo cried, kneeling near Yukito and taking the tiny Guardian into her hands. His eyes were swirly.  
  
Yukito groaned, then looked into Touya's face. "What's going on?" he said with a weak smile.  
  
"Oh, nothing. The evil clown just kicked your true form's butt," Touya answered.  
  
"Is that it?" Yukito said with a little laugh. "No wonder I hurt all over."  
  
Kero-chan regained consciousness. "Anyone got the number of that truck that hit me?" he asked, still woozy.  
  
"Thank goodness you're both still alive," Tomoyo said.  
  
"Too bad you can't say the same for your mistress," Psycho said.  
  
Kero-chan glared at the robot. "What are you talkin' about?" he demanded, attempting to fly.  
  
"You know, you Guardians are terrible at your job," Psycho commented cruelly.  
  
"What is he talking about, Toya?" Yukito asked.  
  
"I don't know, Yuki," Touya answered.  
  
Psycho giggled. "Do you think it was a good idea to leave little Sakura alone in my Funhouse?" he asked, grinning.  
  
Kero-chan flew out of Tomoyo's hands and headed for the evil clown. "What did you do to her?"  
  
Amused at the tiny animal before him, Psycho swatted him hard. "While you and Birdboy were fighting me, two of my flunkies were getting rid of her," he explained as Kero-chan fell to the ground. "I'm sure they finished her off by now. Looks like you two are out of a job."  
  
"Sakura-chan..." Tomoyo whispered.  
  
"Sakura-chan is dead?" Yukito tried to take everything in. "If Yue hadn't left..."  
  
"No! I don't believe you!" Touya shouted.  
  
Psycho laughed. "Believe what you like. Enter and Backspace killed her while you two were trying to defeat me. What a joke! You Guardians are no match for me!"  
  
Kero-chan flew up from the ground and got into Psycho's face. "Oh yeah! How about I transform into my real form again and we'll have a little rematch?"  
  
"Try it, both of you," Psycho taunted, daring the Guardians to change.  
  
Kero-chan tried to change, but nothing happened. "What the...?" he wondered, looking at himself.  
  
Yukito tried to change into Yue. "Nothing's happening," he said.  
  
"What's going on?" Touya asked.  
  
Zapping Kero-chan back, Psycho laughed. "They used too much energy fighting me! It'll take them a while to assume their real forms."  
  
Kero-chan stopped himself from falling to the ground and flew back to the others. "Ya know, I do feel weak," he admitted.  
  
"I just realized something. With your mistress dead, who'll give you guys magical energy to survive?" Psycho asked. "Okay, the Sun Guardian may be able to live on, but the Moon Guardian..."  
  
Touya looked at the weakened Yukito. "No, not again..."  
  
"Oh, don't worry. I'll make sure you don't have to suffer through all that angst again." Psycho's hands started glowing with electricity. "I'll just kill both of you now!"  
  
Without a second thought, Touya rushed Psycho. "Toya, no!" Yukito cried.  
  
"Joy Buzzer!" Psycho fired, knocking Touya to the ground.  
  
Yukito tried to get up. "Toya..."  
  
Kero-chan flew to Touya. He saw him still breathing. "He's still alive," he reported.  
  
Psycho zapped Kero-chan to the ground. "Not for long," he said as the little lion landed next to Touya. "Fine, I'll kill the Guardians and the older brother." He gazed at Tomoyo. "You, I'll keep alive. You've been getting my good side all night."  
  
Touya winced and rose. "You won't get away with this."  
  
"Guess what? I already have!" Psycho prepared another Joy Buzzer, a more powerful one capable of incinerating Touya, Yukito, and Kero-chan. He looked at Tomoyo. "Get your camcorder ready! You don't want to miss me frying your friends!" He pointed at the three, ready to fire.  
  
"Matte!"  
  
Psycho looked for the speaker of that. He saw someone emerge from the Funhouse. "What?" he exclaimed.  
  
Tomoyo turned around. Touya, Yukito, and Kero-chan followed suit. What they saw was a welcome sight.  
  
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo cried, relieved. She aimed her camera at her and resumed recording.  
  
"Sakura!" Kero-chan shouted.  
  
"Kaiiju," Touya said with a smile.  
  
Sakura walked up to her brother and friends. She was wearing the battle costume, which made her look like a clown. A cone hat adorned her head. Her legs were covered by baggy pantaloons. Luckily, Tomoyo had not decided to include overgrown clown shoes.  
  
If Psycho's facial features could move, his mouth would have been open in shock. "So, you managed to defeat Enter and Backspace. They were Kilo Class Cybers, so I'm impressed you got past them."  
  
*Kilo Cybers?* Tomoyo thought.  
  
Sakura fixed her eyes on Psycho. "I won't let you hurt anyone else."  
  
"My, someone got a confidence boost," Psycho said. "Nice outfit. A rather unique burial shroud, to say the least."  
  
Sakura stepped forward. "Go get him, Sakura!" Kero-chan shouted enthusiastically. "Kick that clown's butt!"  
  
Psycho laughed. "You little fool! Your Guardians couldn't beat me! What makes you think you can?"  
  
"Because I'm Sakura. Everything will be all right," Sakura said without fear.  
  
"We'll see about that. Psycho Trick!" Psycho shouted, waving his hand and throwing a long ribbon at the Cardmistress.  
  
Before she could act, Sakura found herself being wrapped in the ribbon. Bound tightly, she fell to the ground. She struggled to break free, but to no avail.  
  
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo shouted. The camera was still on.  
  
"I have some old friends who want to renew their acquaintance with you. Here!" Psycho declared. With a wave of his hand, Time Bombs appeared and surrounded the Card Mistress.  
  
"I don't like this..." Kero-chan said, worried.  
  
Touya forced himself up, then ran towards his sister. Once there, he started throwing Time Bombs away. Yukito got up and joined Touya. "Hang in there, Sakura!" Kero-chan shouted, flying towards the others to help.  
  
"Sorry, but it won't be that easy." Psycho waved his hand, and the three would-be rescuers were flung away. They landed before Tomoyo in a heap. Touya landed on Yukito, and Kero-chan landed on Touya. With another wave of his hand, Psycho made an energy dome appear over Sakura and the Time Bombs. "I want to make sure all her body parts are there," he said, giggling.  
  
The others watched helplessly as Sakura continued to struggle within the ribbon. The Time Bombs flung themselves on her and held her tightly. Their timers were set for one second.  
  
"Bye, bye." Psycho waved his hand again and started the timers.  
  
Their timers reaching zero, the Time Bombs exploded, taking Sakura with them. Tomoyo's camera captured the moment.  
  



	7. Chapter 12 and Epilogue

The Funhouse:  
Chapter 12: The Last Laugh  
  
When the explosions were through, a smoking crater was left. Everyone stared at the spot where Sakura once stood. Inside the dome, the smoke made the interior hard to see.  
  
"No! Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo cried. Tears started leaking from her eyes. She could not believe she taped her best friend's death. *What will I tell Li-kun?*  
  
"Sakura..." Kero-chan said sadly, bowing her head.  
  
Getting off Yukito, Touya closed his eyes. "Damn you, Psycho," he said under his breath. Yukito looked at him and held his hand.  
  
Psycho laughed and spun around. "Ding dong, the mistress is dead! Which old mistress? The Cardmistress!" he sang merrily.  
  
Tomoyo broke down. *This can't be happening. Sakura-chan...*  
  
Psycho enjoyed the sorrow around him. "Well, guess I won't kill you after all. I'll let you all live with the memory that you couldn't do anything to save her." He waved his hand and made the dome vanish, letting the smoke escape. When the smoke cleared, he stepped up to the crater for a closer look. "I wonder how many pieces she's in?" he wondered with a giggle. He stared at the crater. "What?"  
  
Kero-chan flew up for a better look. "Hey, there's nothing there!"  
  
Tomoyo stopped crying. "What?"  
  
"There's nothing there?" Touya and Yukito asked together.  
  
"Windy!"  
  
Psycho was blown away by a strong wind from his right. The evil clown landed hard on the ground. As he picked himself up, he spotted the wind's source. "What the...?" he exclaimed upon seeing the source.  
  
Sakura appeared with a determined look on her face.  
  
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo shouted happily, wiping away her tears.  
  
Touya and Yukito smiled. "All right!" Kero-chan shouted, raising his fist in the air.  
  
"So, you're still alive?" Psycho's hand started to glow. "Not for long! Psycho...!"  
  
Sakura tossed a Card before her and struck it with the Star Wand. "Release! Freeze!"  
  
Everyone watched as Psycho was enveloped in a chilling wind. Before the clown could launch a Psycho Bomb, his limbs stiffened. Soon he was enclosed in ice.  
  
"Yatta!" Tomoyo shouted, getting everything on tape.  
  
Overjoyed, the others ran up to Sakura. "Is everyone all right?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, now that we know you're still alive," Tomoyo answered, smiling.  
  
Touya helped Yukito up. "How did you survive, Sakura-chan?" Yukito asked. "We saw Psycho blow you up."  
  
Kero-chan flew at Sakura and looked at her. "I bet I know! It was the Mirror Card, right?"  
  
Sakura smiled and shook her head. "Nope. The Twin Card," she answered, showing it.  
  
"One of these days, I have to ask you what you've been doing in your free time for the past two years," Touya told his sister.  
  
"Well, it was very clever," Tomoyo said. "I'm just glad you're all right, Sakura-chan."  
  
"That makes two of us," Sakura said.  
  
Kero-chan looked at the now-frozen Psycho. "So what do we do with Laughing Boy?"  
  
"I'm for smashing him into pieces," Touya suggested angrily.  
  
"Hey, me too!" Kero-chan said. "Anyone got a sledgehammer?"  
  
Just then, Psycho's eyes glowed red. The frozen robot started shaking. The ice started to crack. Pieces fell off.  
  
"What's going on?" Yukito asked.  
  
"Everyone, get back!" Sakura warned.  
  
The others did as Sakura said and watched as Psycho broke out of his icy prison. He laughed as he faced the Cardmistress.  
  
"Hoe?" Sakura exclaimed.  
  
Psycho stopped laughing. "You foolish little girl! The power that created me is far superior to Clow Read's magic and your Star Magic!"  
  
Sakura glared at the evil robot. She was tired of all the suffering he has caused. "I'll defeat you. I possess the invincible spell!"  
  
"Yeah, and what would the invincible spell be? The power of love?" Psycho broke out into laughter. "If you thought Enter and Backspace were a challenge, then you're going to have a ball with me! I'm a Mega Cyber, twerp! You can't beat me!"  
  
*Mega Cyber?* Tomoyo noted mentally.  
  
"We'll see about that," Sakura said, taking out the Erase Card. "Release! Erase!" she shouted, striking the Card with her Wand.  
  
Erase charged Psycho. "Ha! Psycho Trick!" He waved his hand, and Erase started to vanish. When it finally did and returned to card form, it flew back to Sakura.  
  
"Whoa," Kero-chan said, surprised.  
  
"What?" Tomoyo said, recording everything.  
  
Sakura caught the Card. *How...?*  
  
"Joy Buzzer!" Psycho shouted, pointing at Sakura.  
  
Sakura barely moved out of the way of the Joy Buzzer. She took out the Rain Card. "Release! Rain!"  
  
Rain fell on Psycho, soaking him. "Aw, but I had a bath last month!" the clown quipped.  
  
Sakura took out the Thunder Card. "Release! Thunder!"  
  
Thunder sprang out and fired a thunderbolt at Psycho. The soaked robot was shocked, but was still standing. "You call that a thunderbolt? Here's mine!" He fired a powerful Joy Buzzer at Thunder. As it absorbed the blast, Thunder started to glow brighter. Finally, it overloaded, causing it to explode and fly back to Sakura in card form.  
  
"That's not good," Touya said.  
  
Tomoyo changed tapes quickly. She wanted to miss as little of the battle as possible.  
  
Sakura caught Rain, then took out the Mist Card. "Release! Mist!"  
  
Mist flew out and enveloped Psycho. "Whoa! Bad gas!" the villain exclaimed.  
  
"That's gotta work," Kero-chan said. "Mist can corrode all inorganic material, robots included."  
  
"I don't know," Tomoyo said as she continued recording.  
  
"What do you mean? He's a robot. Robots are made of metal. Metal is inorganic," Kero-chan reasoned. "I'm positive Mist will work on him."  
  
"I have the feeling he's not an ordinary robot," Tomoyo said. "There's something strange about him."  
  
Sakura watched the yellow cloud containing Psycho. She waited for it to corrode the evil robot. "Aaaaaaaaa! I'm melting! Melting!" she heard him cry out. The trapped figure seemed to collapse to the ground.  
  
"Yes! She got him!" Touya said excitedly.  
  
*Is he defeated?* Sakura asked herself.  
  
Everyone's hopes were dashed when they heard laughter from the yellow cloud. Sakura watched his shadowy outline stand up. Suddenly, he leaped out at her with his fist raised. She leaped back in time to avoid a powerful punch. Psycho's fist cracked the ground. Backing up, Sakura saw Mist had no effect. Corrosion was nonexistent on Psycho.  
  
"Nani?" Touya exclaimed in surprise.  
  
"He's countering the Cards," Kero-chan realized.  
  
"He's not doing a bad job at it either," Yukito commented.  
  
Psycho stared down Sakura as Mist returned to her. "So, got any other worthless tricks you'd like to try on me?" he asked cruelly.  
  
Sakura took out the Arrow Card. "Release! Arrow!"  
  
Arrow emerged and fired a single arrow in the sky. Soon, a swarm of arrows flew at Psycho. "Psycho Trick!" he shouted, waving his hand. The arrows turned direction and headed for the others.  
  
"No!" Sakura cried, realizing what was happening. As she ran to her friends, she took out the Shield Card. Making it before the arrows arrived, she shouted, "Release! Shield!" A barrier formed over Sakura and the others, blocking out the deadly arrows. Tomoyo recorded everything with a combination of excitement and fright.  
  
Psycho brought his hands together. He parted them slowly, making a broadsword appear. He took it and charged the barrier. He leaped at it and brought his blade down on it. The barrier burst, with the resulting explosion causing everyone in it to fall and land on the ground.  
  
Getting up, Sakura watched as Psycho landed. She heard herself breathe harder. She felt her tired limbs. She would have collapsed, but the sight of the evil robot kept her going.  
  
"Didn't I tell you? I'm more powerful than your Sakura Cards!" Psycho boasted. He examined the Cardmistress. "Look at you! All that magic using's making you tired. Makes you wish you were back in bed. Speaking of which, isn't it past your bedtime?"  
  
"He's right, Sakura," Kero-chan said, flying up to her. "You've used seven cards already, plus the ones you probably used to escape the robots in the Funhouse. You've gotta be exhausted." He looked at Yukito. "I think the Snow Bunny and I have enough energy now to change into our real forms. Let us take this creep on again."  
  
"No," Sakura said. "I have to stop Psycho myself. He already beat you and Yue-san."  
  
"Sakura-chan, he's too powerful!" Tomoyo said, worried. "I saw him defeat Kerberos and Yue-san. He defeated the Cards you used."  
  
Sakura smiled. "Because it's me, everything will be all right."  
  
"I'm starting to have my doubts," Touya said, looking at Psycho. "For a robot, he's pretty tough."  
  
"Hey! Do I have to come over there and kill you?" Psycho called out to Sakura.  
  
"Sakura-chan, let my real form fight on your behalf," Yukito pleaded. "At least Kerberos and Yue aren't human. We won't suffer like you."  
  
Sakura looked at everyone with affection. "Thank you, but I have to do this by myself. It's me Psycho wants, not you. I don't want anyone hurt because of me."  
  
"Sakura-chan..." Tomoyo began.  
  
"I possess the invincible spell," Sakura said reassuringly. "I'll defeat him." She looked at Kero-chan. "Please take Tomoyo-chan and oniichan away from here. I want them to be safe."  
  
"I'm not leaving you here, kaiiju!" Touya said. "What would I say to otousan?"  
  
"I'm not leaving either!" Tomoyo said firmly. "I have to record the moment when you defeat that evil clown!"  
  
Sakura felt like crying because of all the people who cared about her. "Arigato," she said to them. She faced Psycho and walked up to him.  
  
Psycho watched her approaching. "How nice. You're marching to your death. How brave of you."  
  
Sakura looked into Psycho's red eyes. "You say you're more powerful than me. How about we fight without any extra powers? That way, if you kill me, you'll be able to say you did it on your own."  
  
"Fine," Psycho answered without hesitation. "I don't need any other weapons except this to finish you off!" he declared, showing Sakura his broadsword.  
  
Sakura took out the Sword Card. "Release! Sword!" The Star Wand became a sword in Sakura's hand.  
  
Psycho readied his blade. "Let's dance," he said, staring into Sakura's eyes. With a yell, he made the first move.  
  
Sakura moved her sword to block Psycho's attack, then swung at him. Psycho blocked it, then aimed for her head. Sakura stepped back and aimed for his torso. Psycho blocked the blow and tried to force her sword out of her hand. Sakura kept her grip and swung again.  
  
Tomoyo and the others watched as Sakura and Psycho traded blows with their swords. Sakura managed to jump out of the way of some swings and knock aside others. Psycho continued to attack aggressively. Tomoyo recorded the fight enthusiastically. *Ganbatte, Sakura-chan!* she thought.  
  
"Give up!" Psycho said, taking another swing at Sakura. She dodged it in time. "You're exhausted! You may be one of the most powerful magicians in the world, but you're not old enough to expend that much magic without depleting your power supply!" He swung his blade again. "Come on! Let me kill you and we'll call it a night!"  
  
"Never!" Sakura shouted, blocking the swing and knocking aside another one. She knew he was right, but she was not going to give up. She ignored her tired body, but she still felt it. She knew she had to make a final blow. She backed away from Psycho and watched him while breathing heavily.  
  
"Okay, I'll come to you, then!" Psycho ran at her, his sword at the ready. Sakura took one final breath, then rushed towards the evil clown. "Raaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Psycho shouted as he and Sakura got closer. They swung their blades and ran past each other, stopping at a distance.  
  
*They moved too fast!* Tomoyo lamented. The action was too quick for her at this point. *Thank goodness for playback options.*  
  
Sakura caught her breath. Her sweat combined with the night air cooled her down. Her back was to Psycho. Psycho had not turned to face his enemy yet.  
  
"This feels like a samurai movie," Yukito commented.  
  
Sakura heard something crack. Her eyes widened as the top half of her sword gave way. It fell and clattered on the ground. "No," she whispered, dropping the other half. The two halves glowed, then reformed the Star Wand.  
  
Tomoyo saw everything through her camera lens. "Sakura-chan..." she whispered.  
  
"He sliced Sakura's sword in half," Kero-chan said, shocked.  
  
Psycho turned around and watched as Sakura picked up the Star Wand. "Ha! I've proven my point! Your Star Magic is no match for my power!" he declared. "Now I'll just...Aaaaaaaagh!"  
  
Everyone watched as Psycho seemed to be doubling up in pain. Sakura noticed that the shoulder of Psycho's sword arm was lower than the other. Then the arm slid off. She saw it drop to the ground. As it hit, both it and the sword disintegrated.  
  
"Yes," Sakura whispered, trying to catch her breath.  
  
"Did I just see that?" Touya asked.  
  
"All right, Sakura!" Kero-chan cried. "That'll show him!"  
  
"Yatta!" Tomoyo shouted, catching the moment on tape.  
  
Psycho looked at where his arm was once. "Impossible!" he shouted. "I'm a Master and a Mega! The calculations! They said you were no match for my power!"  
  
*Master, calculations?* Tomoyo recorded in her mind.  
  
Psycho's remaining hand clinched into a fist. His eyes glowed madly as he glared at Sakura. "You're supposed to be no match for me! This is impossible! Impossible!"  
  
"Nothing is impossible for Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo shouted.  
  
"Yeah!" Kero-chan shouted in agreement.  
  
Psycho snarled. "Well, let's see if little Sakura can handle this! Psycho Bomb!" His remaining hand opened and started forming a Psycho Bomb. It started to grow until it reached the size of a beach ball.  
  
"I don't like this," Yukito said.  
  
"Get out of there!" Touya cried out to his sister.  
  
Sakura looked through the Cards and found the right one for this particular job.  
  
"Die, Cardmistress!" Psycho cried, throwing the Psycho Bomb at her.  
  
Seeing the Psycho Bomb coming, Sakura took out the Mirror Card. "Release! Mirror!" Mirror took the form of its namesake and hovered before Sakura. The Psycho Bomb struck it, sending out light rays that illuminated the area.  
  
"What?" Psycho snarled, seeing his attack being blocked.  
  
Sakura closed her eyes and tried to focus on what was to be done next. Despite her fatigue, she hung on. *Everything will be all right,* she told herself. Mirror still held the Psycho Bomb at bay, but it started to crack under the pressure. "Please hang on," she whispered to the Card.  
  
Psycho noticed Mirror cracking. "It won't be long..." he said, giggling.  
  
The pressure increased. Sakura felt Mirror getting weaker. "Now!" she shouted. Mirror reflected the Psycho Bomb back at Psycho in the form of an energy beam. As the beam left, Mirror shattered and returned to its card form.  
  
"Oh, no!" Psycho exclaimed. The beam came at him too quickly for him to move. He screamed as his own attack energy engulfed him. Sakura and the others watched as Psycho was overwhelmed. The robot exploded grandly, the sound echoing through the night. When the beam was gone, there was no sign of Psycho.  
  
"I did it..." Sakura said. Feeling the exhaustion of the battle catch up to her, she started to fall to the ground.  
  
Yukito changed into Yue. He flew to Sakura and caught her before she hit the ground. "Yue-san..." she whispered.  
  
Yue stroked her head. "Hush, Mistress. It's over. You destroyed him."  
  
Yue helped his mistress stand up. Sakura leaned against his arm. The others ran up to them. "You did it, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo cried. "And I got it all on tape!" she said, pointing to her camera. "This was the greatest battle in your entire career as a magical girl! Too bad you didn't do any poses."  
  
Sakura sweatdropped. "Tomoyo-chan..." she said weakly.  
  
"Hey, she's been through a lot," Kero-chan said. "We'll save the poses for another time."  
  
Touya looked around. "Shouldn't we get home now? It's pretty late."  
  
Sakura looked at her older brother. "Hai. Let's go home."  
  
Suddenly, there was a faint giggling. Hearing it, Kero-chan transformed into Kerberos. "It can't be!" he exclaimed, taking a defensive position in front of Sakura and the others. Tomoyo started recording again.  
  
"I keep going and going and going..." Psycho materialized before Sakura and the others. He was in his first robot form, and he was not looking well. His body was cracked and torn in various places, with some of his insides exposed. He clutched his empty arm socket and glared at his enemies with his red eyes.  
  
"What does it take to kill you?" Kerberos shouted, growling at the damaged robot.  
  
Psycho giggled. "More than you've got, pussycat. I told you your power is no match for mine."  
  
Yue held up his free hand and fired crystals at the clown, only to watch them evaporate once they hit him. "Nani?"  
  
"A little program that protects me from cheapshots like that," Psycho said, giggling.  
  
Sakura faced the evil robot. "What are you? Who created you? Why did you want the Sakura Cards and the Star Key?" she asked.  
  
Psycho grinned silently in response. A flash of light appeared behind him. "Sorry, but the Gateway's here and I really must be going." The light became a portal. "I promise I'll kill you the next time we meet, Sakura Kinomoto! Of course, if the User decides to come here, you'll wish I killed you tonight!" he declared, laughing as he hovered into the portal.  
  
*The...User?* Sakura thought curiously.  
  
Kerberos shot a fireball at the portal, but it was too late. The fireball went out as it hit the closing portal. Sakura and the others stood there for a while, hearing Psycho's evil, broken, and bizarre laughter in their heads.  
  
"Look!" Tomoyo exclaimed, pointing to the Funhouse.  
  
Everyone watched as the Funhouse started to fade away. The dome was first, followed by the rest. The last part to vanish was the clown face entrance. Tomoyo recorded the event in time.  
  
"That's somethin' you don't see every night," Kerberos said.  
  
Sakura stood on her own and looked at the space once occupied by the Funhouse. "Let's go home."  
  
  
  
Epilogue: Questions and More Questions  
  
"So your father didn't notice you and Sakura-chan were gone?" Yukito asked Touya the next day in the Kinomotos' kitchen.  
  
"Nope. He came home really late and went straight to bed," Touya said. "He didn't bother to check if we were sleeping."  
  
"Well, that was quite an adventure last night," Yukito stated.  
  
"I'm just happy it's over," Touya said, yawning. "I'm amazed I stayed up in class today."  
  
"You didn't really," Yukito said. "Sensei had to wake you up during math class."  
  
"Hmph. Math was always boring," Touya said. "I'm glad you're okay, Yuki."  
  
Yukito smiled. "Domo arigato."  
  
Touya looked at him. "Nani? Why are you thanking me?"  
  
"For coming to rescue me and Yue," Yukito said.  
  
"It was the stuffed animal's idea," Touya said. "The kaiiju needed backup just in case something went wrong. After all, no one messes with her except me."  
  
Yukito shook his head. "Still having that sister complex, I see," he said teasingly.  
  
Touya grabbed Yukito. He put him in a headlock and playfully gave him a noogie.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Nooooooooooooo!" Kero-chan screamed, putting his paws over his face. "Make it stop! Make it stop!"  
  
Sitting on the edge of her bed, Sakura sighed. "Kero-chan."  
  
The video from last night was being played. The TV in Sakura's room showed Psycho swinging Kerberos over his head.  
  
"I can't believe you kept that," Kero-chan said to Tomoyo. "Me, the good-lookin' Sun Guardian, getting my butt kicked by a clown. I'll never live this down."  
  
"Cheer up, Kero-chan," Tomoyo said, smiling. "Think of it as a learning experience."  
  
Kero-chan winced as he watched Psycho use him as a puppet. "I guess so, but that was a very painful learning experience."  
  
"From the looks of things, I guess I'll still be needing these," Sakura said, showing the Sakura Cards and Star Key. "That's what I learned."  
  
"Looks like I'll be designing and sewing more battle costumes for you," Tomoyo said excitedly. "Oh, you'll love the new designs I came up with."  
  
Sakura sweatdropped. "Tomoyo-chan..."  
  
"Speaking of learning experiences, we got a lot from this one," Kero-chan said. "We learned Psycho's some sort of magical robot and he's after the Sakura Cards and the Star Key."  
  
"He's extremely powerful and the Sakura Cards have little or no effect on him," Sakura said.  
  
"He's not the only Cyber around," Tomoyo said.  
  
"Cyber? Where'd you get that word?" Kero-chan asked.  
  
"Psycho mentioned it a few times during the fight," Tomoyo explained. "I think it refers to the robots as a whole."  
  
"Speaking of robots, there's a lot of them, and they seem to be organized like the military," Sakura said. "You know, like ranks. The two robots who trapped me in Psycho's chamber were pretty anxious to get promoted."  
  
"Heard the same thing from another one guarding the Funhouse," Kero-chan said. "He won't be getting promoted any time soon. Strange names for ranks, though. 'Programmer?'"  
  
"Then there's the connection to computers," Tomoyo stated. "Didn't you think their names were strange?"  
  
"Hai," Sakura answered. "'Enter?' 'Backspace?'"  
  
"'Insert?' 'Altron?' 'Controller?' 'Deleter?'" Kero-chan wondered. "Definitely some weird names to give to killer robots."  
  
"Naming robots after the keys on computers is rather odd," Tomoyo said.  
  
"Computer keys...?" Sakura wondered. "No wonder 'Enter' and 'Backspace' sounded familiar!"  
  
"Their ranks and classes are also based on computers," Tomoyo recalled. "We know what a programmer is. 'Kilo' and 'Mega' refer to the amount of storage space for anything on a computer."  
  
"They also seem light. Touya caught a missile with ease, then tossed a robot like it weighed nothin'. Then there's the whole video game feeling I had while fighting them." Kero-chan watched as Psycho stomped him on the back. "Speaking of which, can I play one now?"  
  
"Kero-chan, it was your idea for me to bring the tapes here," Tomoyo reminded the Sun Guardian.  
  
"But I wanted to point out stuff to Sakura when she fought the clown," Kero-chan said. He sighed. "At least the gaki wasn't around to see this."  
  
"Oh, I already sent Li-kun a copy of the tape," Tomoyo said, smiling.  
  
"What?" Kero-chan exclaimed.  
  
Sakura stared at Tomoyo. "You sent a tape to Syaoran-kun?"  
  
"I wanted him to see how fabulous Sakura-chan was in battle," Tomoyo said, looking at her best friend. "You were wonderful!"  
  
Sakura tried not to fall off her bed. She looked at Syaoran the teddy bear. She picked it up and stared into its beady little eyes. *Syaoran-kun...* she thought.  
  
"Here's the two most important things we learned from last night," Kero-chan said. "Your magic is getting stronger, Sakura. When Psycho launched his final attack, you managed to hang in there. I'm also amazed at the number of Cards you used. You were still tired afterwards, but it took longer for it to happen."  
  
"What's the other thing, Kero-chan?" Sakura asked.  
  
"It's not over," he replied gravely.  
  
Tomoyo nodded. "Psycho's still out there..."  
  
"And whoever created him probably still wants the Sakura Cards and the Star Key," Sakura said, looking at them. "Kero-chan, do you know why Psycho and whoever created him would want them?"  
  
"I dunno, Sakura," the tiny winged lion said, shrugging. "It's possible the Cards can be controlled by someone else, but they've become your friends, so they'll only listen to you. As for the Key, it's the expression of your magic. It's worthless to everyone else except you."  
  
"So we have more questions to answer," Sakura said.  
  
"And a new enemy to fight," Tomoyo said. "Sakura-chan, your career as a magical girl has just gotten more exciting!"  
  
"We'd better be prepared just in case Psycho or someone like him shows up in Tomoeda," Kero-chan said.  
  
"How?" Sakura asked.  
  
Kero-chan thought for a moment. "Well..." He flew in the air. "For starters, we can practice battle poses and phrases. You know something to put fear into those Cybers. Like this!" Kero-chan punched in the air, then spun around. He stopped and pointed at Sakura. "I'm Cardmistress Sakura! I possess the invincible spell and I'm going to defeat you!"  
  
"That's good, Kero-chan!" Tomoyo said. "But what about this?" She crossed her arms over her chest, then pointed left and right and pointed to Sakura. "I'm Cardmistress Sakura! Feel the power of love or be punished!"  
  
Soon both of them were showcasing various poses and battle cries for Sakura. "Hoeeeeeeeee," she groaned as she fell off her bed.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"You failed me, Psycho. You had the Sakura Cards and the Star Key in your possession, and the Cardmistress was at your mercy. Yet, you were defeated by her and badly damaged in the process. Care to explain this debacle?"  
  
Having been repaired after last night's battle, Psycho faced his creator and leader. "Well, Majesty, it's those stupid calculations' fault! They said the girl would be easy to kill. Also, they didn't take into account of the Sun..."  
  
"Silence!"  
  
Psycho clammed up immediately.  
  
"You were supposed to bring the Sakura Cards and the Star Key to me or at least the scanned data. Now, what happened to the latter?"  
  
Psycho gulped. "The Scanner was destroyed before it could obtain the data properly, Majesty. I would've downloaded it to you directly, but the magic of the Cards and Key is massive and requires careful treatment, not quick..."  
  
"I'm aware of that!"  
  
"Well, the Cardmistress's Star Magic is powerful..."  
  
"Are you implying she is more powerful than me?"  
  
"No, Majesty! You are the superior magician! You possess the most potent magic on Earth! You are the most powerful magician in the world!"  
  
"That is correct. Never forget that."  
  
An image of a globe appeared before them. Numerous lights covered its surface. Many were yellow or red. A green one showed up occasionally.  
  
"Thanks to your bungling, my timetable has been upset. My search field remains too large for me and I can't launch a wider search with what I have. With the Sakura Cards and Star Key, I'd be seeing less yellow and red on that globe."  
  
Psycho studied the globe. "Um, Majesty? This seems to be in error. I count five green lights. There are supposed to be four."  
  
"Now it's five."  
  
Psycho gasped as he beheld the blue egg-shaped stone in his leader's hand. "You found...another one?"  
  
"One of your fellow Master Cybers got lucky in South America and brought this to me while you were dealing with the Cardmistress." Psycho watched as the stone vanished, knowing where it went. "My power is increased, but I need all of them to accomplish my ultimate goal. Now thanks to your incompetence, I must carry on with more tedious searches for the rest."  
  
"Your forgiveness, Majesty!" Psycho cried, bowing. "I promise the next time you send me out, I'll bring you a magical object that'll be sure to reduce the search field dramatically! The next time the Cardmistress and her Guardians spoil your plans, I'll kill them and bring the Cards and Key to you!"  
  
"We shall see, Psycho. Now, since my power has increased, albeit slightly, I'm somewhat in a good mood. I'm not going to punish you for your failure. Now get out of my sight before I delete you permanently!"  
  
"As you wish, Majesty!" Psycho vanished without a second thought.  
  
A Window appeared, showing Sakura's face. "So, Cardmistress, you caused me a great delay, eh? Well, I'll get them all no matter how long it takes me. Once they're all in my possession, I'll subject the entire world to the beautiful night, and the laughter will go away."  
  
An evil smile formed. The Window closed. Darkness descended quickly, and all was silent.  



End file.
